![\"Fennel](\"http:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/FennelTomatoSoupA-11182011.png\")
<\/p>\nFennel was on sale at the grocery store last week.\u00a0 I picked up a bulb, with all of its unruly fronds intact, and headed up to the front.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhat do you use that <\/em>for,\u201d asked the guy at the checkout counter.\u00a0 \u201cI see people buy it sometimes, but have no idea how I\u2019d use it.\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time my produce choices have been scrutinized.\u00a0 And, frankly, I don\u2019t blame the people who pepper me with questions for doing so.<\/p>\n I do the same thing when I go to an ethnic grocery store or when I travel and see foods I\u2019ve never encountered before:<\/p>\n When I lived in Atlanta, there was an indoor farmer\u2019s market<\/a> that was an adventurous produce-lover\u2019s dream.\u00a0 They had several loooong aisles of produce \u2013 jackfruit, durian, dragon fruit, bitter melon, and all-variety of exotic beans, squash, root vegetables, cabbages and greens\u2026\u00a0 I asked my questions a lot!<\/p>\n Fennel<\/em>\u00a0is a bulbous vegetable related to parsley, carrots, dill and coriander that has tall stalks and wispy fronds that look like those on its cousin dill. Eating a cup of fennel will give you almost 20% of your recommend daily vitamin C and 10% of your daily fiber and potassium. The fennel plant is anything but dim in flavor.\u00a0 Its bright, fresh flavor will play on your tongue and complement rich foods like pork in wonderful ways. \u00a0In fact, cooking it with a pork roast is how I got hooked on fennel last year.<\/p>\n Fennel tastes slightly of anise, the flavor you find in black licorice, and is often labeled as anise at the grocery store. \u00a0But, anise it is not. \u00a0Fennel is crunchy, with the texture of celery, and slightly \u2013 but not overwhelmingly \u2013 sweet.\u00a0 You\u2019ll get the best flavor, the sooner you eat it.\u00a0 Try to use it within a day or two of buying it.<\/p>\n The entire plant is edible, and can be used in a number of ways.<\/p>\n\n
But, back to the fennel\u2026What is it?<\/h3>\n
![\"FennelTomatoSoupB](\"http:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/FennelTomatoSoupB-11182011.png\")
<\/p>\nNo dim bulbs allowed\u2026 What does it taste like?<\/h3>\n
How do you use fennel?<\/h3>\n
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![\"Roasted](\"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/FennelTomatoSoupH-11182011.png\")
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\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/FennelTomatoSoupD2-11182011.png\")
\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/FennelTomatoSoupD3-11182011.png\")
\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/FennelTomatoSoupG-11182011.png\")
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