Fennel Blossom Soup
This vibrant soup courtesy of The Splendid Table highlights the sweet, grassy flavors of fresh fennel.
Ingredients:
3 cups fennel, diced
2 cups leeks, sliced, white part only
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons fennel blossoms, plus additional for garnish
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cook the leek in the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until the leek wilts. Add the fennel bulb and chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in the fennel blossoms
2. Pur̩e the soup in two batches in a blender until very smooth. Be very careful when doing this Рfill the blender no more than half full so that the hot soup does not splash out, and pulse it in quick spurts before switching it on continuously. Pour it back into the saucepan and reheat it until it simmers. Taste the soup, season with pepper, and add salt as needed. Serve hot or chilled, garnished with a small pinch of fennel flowers.
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Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Herb Crème Fraîche
This soup is the epitome of fall comfort food.
Ingredients:
1, 2-2½ pound Winter Density pumpkin, quartered and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus additional
for seasoning the soup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup diced Cipollini onion
1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups chicken stock
Fresh ground pepper
For Herb Crème Fraîche:
¾ cup crème fraîche, plus additional for garnish
2 teaspoons each fresh parsley (finely chopped) and thyme leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place pumpkin quarters in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 2 teaspoons sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast at 350° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Scoop out cooked pumpkin and reserve.
2. Heat butter and remaining oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic and
season with a pinch of sea salt. Sweat over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown.
3. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and roasted pumpkin and season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a simmer, and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
4. While soup is cooking, combine crème fraîche with fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Once soup is ready, purée it in batches in a food processor (or with an immersion blender). Stir in ¾ cup of crème fraîche. Add more chicken stock as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Garnish each serving with reserved crème fraîche.
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Braised Fennel & Carrots
Kissed with honey and orange zest, this beautiful side sings with bright flavor.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch-long sticks
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored and cut into â…›-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Zest of 1 orange
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ cup water
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fennel fronds, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the butter, olive oil and honey. Stir well and add the carrots, fennel, orange zest and fennel seeds. Toss until the slices are well coated with the oil. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the fennel starts to soften.
2. Add the water, orange juice, salt, and pepper. Toss quickly and reduce heat to between medium and medium-low. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
3. Uncover the pan. Raise heat to high and fast-simmer until the juices have all evaporated and some of the vegetables are golden-brown, about 6 to 7 minutes, tossing occasionally. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the fennel fronds, and serve immediately.
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Chive Blossom Vinegar
This punchy vinegar is fantastic incorporated into salad dressings; just swap it one-to-one with your favorite vinegar in recipes!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chive blossoms
1 cup white wine vinegar
Method:
1. Soak chive blossoms in water to clean, then dry them using a salad spinner.
2. Place chive blossoms into a large canning jar so that the jar is filled about halfway with blossoms. Fill jar with the vinegar, covering the blossoms completely.
3. Let blossoms steep in the vinegar at least overnight or up to several days in a cool, dark place. Strain blossoms from vinegar and pour liquid into a clean jar. Refrigerate for the longest shelf life (the vinegar should last several weeks in the fridge).
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Chilled Pea Soup
Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, while the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup tasting bright.
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
6 cups shelled fresh peas
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Chopped fresh chives (for serving)
Method:
1. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve chilled soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.
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Grilled Fennel
Lightly charred and naturally sweet, grilled fennel makes a simple yet elegant side dish.Â
Ingredients:
4 medium fennel bulbs, thick outermost layers peeled, and then sliced lengthwise about ½ inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Toss fennel on a rimmed baking sheet with oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Grill fennel until lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side.
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Fried Squash Blossoms
The ultimate summer starter, incredibly beautiful and flavorful.
Ingredients:
12-16 squash blossoms
1 cup ricotta
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup Grana-style cheese, divided
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup chilled seltzer water or club soda
¼ cup finely-chopped mint
2 tablespoons each finely-chopped parsley and basil
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Stir together ricotta, egg yolk, herbs, half of the cheese and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Carefully open each blossom and fill with about 2-3 rounded teaspoons of the ricotta filling, gently twisting the end of the blossom to enclose. Tip: Use a pastry bag for this! (You may have filling left over.)
3. Whisk together flour, remaining cheese, about ¼ teaspoon salt, and seltzer in a small bowl.
4. Heat ½ inch oil to 375° in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Meanwhile, dip blossoms in the flour batter to thinly coat. Fry coated blossoms, turning once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Coat and fry remaining blossoms. (Return oil to 375° between batches.) Season with salt and serve immediately.
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Charred Eggplant & Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fennel Flowers
Smoky charred eggplant meets juicy heirloom tomatoes, crisp fennel and fragrant fennel flowers in this colorful late-summer salad.Â
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into ¾-inch rounds or wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2–3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
¼ small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
¼ cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, finely minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon honey
Fennel flowers, for finishing
½ cup crumbled feta or ricotta salata, optional
Directions:
1. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the eggplant generously with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until deeply charred and tender. Transfer to a platter and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the red wine vinegar, shallot, Dijon and honey. Slowly whisk in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the tomatoes and shaved fennel around the warm eggplant. Spoon the vinaigrette over everything and scatter with parsley and fennel flowers. Finish with feta or ricotta salata, if using, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Savory Spelt Waffles with Sausage, Jammy Eggs & Fennel
Crisp, nutty spelt waffles go savory with maple-kissed sausage, jammy eggs and a bright tangle of fennel and greens.Â
Ingredients:
2 cups Chimacum Valley Grainery Spelt Pancake & Waffle Mix
Ingredients called for on package for waffles
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Skagit River Ranch Breakfast Sausage
4 farm-fresh eggs
1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
2 cups frisée or baby lettuce greens
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fennel flowers, for garnish, optional
Maple syrup, for serving, optional
Directions:
1. Prepare the waffle batter according to package directions. Fold in the parsley and a generous grinding of black pepper. Cook in a preheated waffle iron until deeply golden and crisp; keep warm while you prepare the toppings.
2. Meanwhile, cook the breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into bite-size pieces, until browned and cooked through.
3. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully lower in the eggs and cook for 7 minutes for jammy yolks. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water, then peel and halve.
4. In a small bowl, toss the shaved fennel and greens with the lemon juice and olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Top each warm waffle with sausage, a handful of the fennel salad and two egg halves. Finish with parsley and fennel flowers, if using. Serve as-is for a savory breakfast, or add a light drizzle of maple syrup for a sweet-savory finish.
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Radicchio, Fennel & Apple Salad
Tart, crunchy and crisp, this cool salad celebrates the classic combination of apple and radicchio.
Ingredients:
1 head radicchio, or ½ each of different varieties mixed together
2 fennel bulbs
1 large sweet-tart apple
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup toasted pecans, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. First prep the radicchio by coring and slicing into thin pieces; also core, peel and thinly-slice the fennel. Cut the apple into slices. Combine the radicchio, fennel and apple in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper.
3. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then pour half of dressing over radicchio-fennel mixture and stir to combine.
4. Taste, and gradually add more dressing to your liking. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and pecans.
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