How to grow fennel bulbs: Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden

Smaller fennel bulbs are sweeter. Photo / Tamara West

Kem Ormond is a features writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s talking about Florence fennel.

OPINION

Fennel has quite a history behind it, in fact, it is one of the oldest cultivated plants.

I read an article the other day that said Roman women ate it to prevent obesity and now I find out, if only I had known that 10 years ago!

There are two main types of fennel used in cooking.

Large-bulbed Florence fennel is the variety that’s grown and often sold fresh as a vegetable.

Herb fennel or common fennel (vulgare) is a perennial you can plant in a garden for fronds, pollen, and seeds and like me, you may have seen this fennel growing wild on the side of the road.

I have grown and used Florence fennel for many years, mainly because I am an aniseed addict, and this vegetable has a mild aniseed flavour.

Summer is when I mostly use it as I have a great fennel and mozzarella salad recipe that is sure to convert anyone who dislikes fennel.

I use the small fresh fronds as I would dill, mainly because I always forget to plant dill and before it goes to seed.

I pick the gorgeous flower heads and use them as decoration on any savoury dish, like salmon on blini.

Fennel upside-down tart. Photo / Babiche Martens

Florence fennel produces a white “bulb” at ground level, created by the overlapping of its leaf stalks.

Botanically it is not really a bulb, but to me, it is as close as!

I prefer it raw, and I slice it on my mandolin (yes, with the safety guard), but you can roast it, add it to stews, braise it, boil it, or steam it.

It is available to purchase all year round, but nothing is as nice as a fresh bulb straight from your vegetable garden.

Unlike a certain beetroot grower in my family — I don’t like the bulbs to get too large.

I prefer a smaller bulb as they are sweeter.

When growing you need to keep them watered regularly and they take about three to four months to mature and be ready to harvest.

How to grow fresh fennel bulbs

To grow Florence fennel, you need to work your soil over adding some good compost, preferably some you have made yourself, and some sheep manure to give it a good boost of nutrients.

Towards the end of September plant your seed in shallow trenches about 3cm deep.

I usually grow at least two seeds together, approximately 20cm apart with at least 30cm between the rows.

You need to keep these seeds moist, so water morning and night for a couple of weeks.

Once there are some shoots above the ground, keep the soil moist especially heading into warmer months when often there is wind around.

Fennel needs plenty of space and lots of sunshine.

You will need to thin some of your seedlings, leaving the strongest to grow into lovely big bulbs.

Harvest as you need, remembering the smaller bulbs will be the sweetest.

Here is a refreshing fennel and mozzarella salad to try — go on!

Recipe: Fennel, zucchini and mozzarella salad with a hint of lemons and nuts

Fennel, zucchini and mozzarella salad, with a tangy dressing, finished with a scattering of nuts. Photo / Kem Ormond

Ingredients

1 fennel bulb, reserve the fronds

2 medium zucchini (either green or yellow)

1/3rd cup plain yoghurt

2 large balls of fresh mozzarella

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/14 cup almonds or any other nut roasted and roughly chopped (Walnuts or hazelnuts are nice)

Dressing

1 clove garlic

3tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 pieces preserved lemon (available supermarket)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method - dressing

To make the dressing, scrape the flesh from the preserved lemon skin and discard.

Finely chop the skin and combine with the remaining dressing ingredients.

Lightly season.

Method - salad

Using your mandolin, shave the zucchini into thin strips or you can use a vegetable peeler if you don’t have a mandolin.

Place in a colander and sprinkle lightly with sea salt to bring out the moisture.

Leave for 10 minutes and pat dry with paper towels or a clean tea towel.

Cut the fennel bulbs into quarters through the root; then use a mandolin or a sharp knife to shave very thinly.

Using a large platter, spoon on the yoghurt and drizzle with the oil, salt, and pepper.

Slice the mozzarella and arrange over the yoghurt then spoon over half the dressing.

Then top with the shaved fennel and zucchini and drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Scatter over the almonds or nuts of your choice, reserved fennel fronds and a good grind of pepper.