Fennel

Fennel has a light but distinct anise, or licorice, flavor. It's super crisp and refreshing when raw, but melts into a savoury sweetness when slowly cooked. The tall green stalks look like celery with wispy dill-like leaves at the top. The stalks grow from a white onion-like bulb. All parts are edible, although the mild, tender bulb is most commonly used and served.

Health Benefits:  Vitamin C, the most active vitamin in fennel (17% of the daily value), has the strength to zap free radicals looking for a place to cause damage in the body, usually in the form of inflammation, which could lead to joint degeneration and arthritis. Other prominent vitamins and minerals in fennel include potassium, an electrolyte that fights high blood pressure, and folate, which helps convert potentially dangerous molecules called homocysteine into a benign form.

The dietary fiber in fennel limits cholesterol build-up, absorbs water in the digestive system, and helps eliminate carcinogens from the colon, possibly preventing colon cancer. Several other nutrients play supportive roles, namely manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper.

The long, graceful fronds above the fennel bulbs contain a number of important vitamins, such as pantothenic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. Phytonutrients in fennel seeds and bulbs include the flavonoids rutin, quercitin, and kaempferol, all antioxidants which resist infection, aging, and degenerative neurological diseases.

But the most important nutrient in this vegetable might be anethole, a component in the volatile oil of fennel and one of the most powerful agents against cancer occurrence, possibly due to a biological mechanism that shuts down or prevents the activation of NF-kappaB, a gene-altering, inflammation-triggering molecule.

In season:  Fennel is often available year-round, but is at its best during its natural season from fall through early spring. Like most cool weather crops, the plant bolts and turns bitter in warmer weather.

How to serve:  Fennel is delicious raw, served with kosher salt to dip the pieces in or with dip, or as a crunchy addition to salads. When thinly sliced and simply dressed with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt it makes a refreshing salad for heavy winter stews and roasts.