Baked Fennel with Ham and Parmesan

First of all, I have to say that the brie, walnut and honey pastries did NOT come out well. I wrapped the filling in phyllo dough and all of the honey ran out, leaving a rather dry, tasteless bite-size morsel of utter mediocrity! Next time, I will try doing it a bit differently. Now on to the fennel.

Fennel (anise) is a wonderful bulbous vegetable, with a nice crunch and a sweet, licorice flavor. It's great sliced into a salad, especially with more bitter greens and a viniagrette - the sweet fennel providing the perfect balance. Cooking it mellows the flavor a bit and in Italy it is eaten both raw and cooked.

I picked up a couple of fennel bulbs on sale a few days ago and decided to try this typical Italian country dish. Liss and I had it for dinner late last night and this recipe would probably serve four.

Take two large fennel bulbs, cut the tops off back to the main bulb, and cut them in half, down the wide part. Boil these for about thirty minutes or so, until very fork tender, check carefully, as the outer leaves take a bit longer. Drain them well, then cut each half into thirds.

I took an eight inch square baking dish and brushed it with olive oil, then laid the pieces in the dish, brushing more olive oil on them. Then sprinkle on about a cup of chopped ham and AT LEAST a cup of fresh shredded or shaved parmesan (I think I used closer to a cup and a half!) Bake at 400 degrees for twenty five to thirty minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let sit for a minute or two and serve.

I think this would be a great side for something like grilled chicken or salmon with pasta in a cream sauce, gonna have to experiment a bit!

Cheers!!!

By the way, this is THE BEST book on Italian food - ingredients and recipes - that I have ever seen. I take it out often just to read through it. It's beautifully illustrated and, for what you get, really cheap (just like me!!!)