As a good Irish girl, I’ve decided to go green this month.  OK, every month, but I mean with regards to my material here.  As you know, this site is dedicated to whole foods in season – and this week’s feature is fennel.

Fennel is a relative of  the celery family and a wonderful healing food.  Sweet fennel, also known as anise, offers a licorice flavor and is mostly used as seed which was made into ‘gripe water’ for babies to soothe their bellies.  Chewing on the seeds acts as an adult digestive aid and breath freshener.

The dried form of fennel has been ‘prescribed’ as tea for stimulating milk production in nursing mothers; as a treatment for kidney stones and bladder ailments; and as a cancer fighter.   For more serious conditions, fennel is considered to help with asthma and other respiratory ailments, as it has a calming and antispasmodic affect.  It is good for treating food poisoning, indigestion and motion sickness. Its relaxing component is also helpful with intestinal issues such as IBS and Chron’s disease.  (Sources: Prescription for Dietary Wellness, and Prescription for Herbal Healing – Phyllis Balch.)

Fresh fennel has many culinary applications.  Many parts are edible and all can be cooked or eaten raw.  The leaves (fronds), stalks, roots and seeds are great with fish, Italian dishes, and salads.  Thinly slice the fennel bulb, accompany with orange segments and a splash of rice vinegar – and you have a winter salad that is refreshing and delicious.

This week’s recipe is just perfect for St. Patty’s Day, with or without corned beef.  (I just bought some from U.S. Wellness Meats which I found through Kelly the Kitchen Kop. They made it super easy to order and receive… I’ll let you know!)

Fennel and Cabbage with Parsley Lemon Butter - Serves 4

Adapted from Deborah Madison (again) and her book, “Local Flavors.”  Deborah was the original chef at Greens restaurant in San Francisco and is a devotee to local, seasonal produce.

½ small Savoy or other green cabbage
1 large fennel bulb, quartered
1 large leek, white part only (KS: I used a small yellow onion)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon (KS: I used half orange, half lemon)
3 tablespoons parsley

1. Cut the cabbage, fennel, and leek into very thin slices and wash. Don’t dry, though.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, wide skillet. Add the vegetables and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Cover the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes. Check after 5 minutes and make sure there’s a little moisture so that the vegetables steam and don’t brown. Meanwhile, simmer the lemon juice in a small skillet until only 1 tablespoon remains. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining butter.
3. Finely chop the zest with the parsley. Stir half into the butter and add the other half to the vegetables. Toss well, taste for salt, and season with pepper.

For another cabbage recipe, Dog Hill Kitchen offers this just in time for St. Patty’s Day.

Congratulations to Jennifer Basye Sander!  Jennifer is the winner of our Blog Bytes competition for gaining the most new susbcribers.  Jennifer is an author and publisher who offers inspirational writing workshops in beautiful Lake Tahoe, California.  Thank you, Jennifer!