How/when to grown FENNEL?

Our cat died last spring. We have not replaced her. Sunshine was over 20 years old!

Losing a pet anytime is sad, but worse when you've had them for so long. I've lost 2 cats in the last 3 years. First my old cat (only 16) got mauled by a feral dog pack, then her replacement got hit by a vehicle. When this one goes, maybe no more cats.

We have more gophers than ever since we do not have cats. The other cat we had (Midnight) was a good hunter, but one day she just disappeared. We have no idea what happened to her.

this is my Torchy ...

Torchy looks like a fierce hunter!

My cat hunts, but not enough to keep up with the vole population (who ate all my sweet potato crop last fall).

Sweet!

darius ... Torchy is scared of his own shadow ... he is a lover and sweet cat

My feline companions - brother and sister rescues.

The picture is a little old - they don't cuddle so much any more. It's much too undignified ;o).

-Rich

Wow, the black cat is SO shiny!

Oh, yes, Sid is definitely the glamor-puss - quite the show-off, extrovert, and the official greeter to anyone who comes to the house. He also loves playing "fetch the ball" - his favorite game. When he's ready to play, he'll find me and let me know. The first sign usually is a little ball rolling through an open doorway to a stop at my feet. Jasmine is the dainty lady of the pair, but she still knows how to tell Sid when she's had just enough of his pestering (she's his second-favorite thing to chase). Of course, she also knows how to tease and egg him on when she hasn't been chased enough...women! ;o)

-Rich

Pretty cats everyone. We have out lived ours and decided no more. The dogs we have now hate the ferrel cats of the neighborhood and would challenge any cat trying to take over and probably run it off. One of the dogs is a rat terrier and the other part German Hunting Terrier, so they keep down the population of field mice and squirrels in the yard.
I thought one was going to have a heart attack recently when a big blue heron landed in the backyard to check out the pond! She was inside and it was gone before I opened the door, because she was making such a racket!

love your pic drthor of your tabby.. :)
i have a longhair persian tabby.. khepher.. hes 12 yrs now..
saw your pic and looked just like my khepher..:)
i grow fennel..or dill on extremes of my vegy garden.. my mom did
for dill in her pickels.. but i remember her saying too..the flowers attracted
wasps..which they do.. and the wasps kept the grasshopper population down..
we get alot of hoppers here in utah..and i rarely have trouble with them..

tropicalnut777
Thanks ... I love my Torchy. He is the best cat.

FENNEL is growing fantastic. It is hard to tell in the picture below ... but the bulb is getting really big (it is just under the soil)
I think it will be ready to harvest real soon.
I am so happy ... I finally figure out the best time to grow Fennel in my area.

Wowzer!!

drthor ~ When did you sow the fennel?

I started from seeds indoor at the beginning of September.
It takes a long time for a seed to become a bulb ... wow

I am also using some of the leaves in my sauces ... they taste delish ...

I dried some green tops from store-bought fennel last year. They lose ALL flavor!

yes you are right

Transplated out second week in October.

Fennel is almost ready.
What do you think?

I think I'd like the bulb a little bigger.

Weeeee

I think it's ready! Especially the one on the right! Yum...

My first FENNEL of 2012 ... so good !
I ate the bulb and froze the tops ( I will use them in soups)

Whoooeee... ya done good!

Wow! All good fennel and cats! (Nice combo!) ^_^

I had a fennel plant that I purchased in a 2" pot, but it died before I could plant it in a container or in the ground. Ok, I'll bite. How do you prepare fennel and isn't it the one that tastes like licorice? I don't remember whatever possessed me to buy it in the first place since I don't like licorice. Can you make it taste like chocolate?

Fennel is delish !
Slice it really thin (after removing the base - the hard part)
Dress with salt, pepper and olive oil ... yummy !!!

Can you make fritters from fennel? I like the idea of infusing what I'm going to eat with a little grease.

huum
I don't know about fennel fritters ...
In Italy we grow so much Fennel.
I do like it raw .. also you could cut it in half (making like a small boat) and spread salt, pepper and olive oil and roast it ... delish.
At Central Market last fall I took a class with Gina Stipo. An American lady that moved to Italy and travel to the USA in the fall/winter months to give cooking classes.
She sautee' the fennel as a base of the most fantastic "chestnut soup" I have ever eaten.

Check the Central Market cooking classes schedule for next year ... I bet she will come back in the fall.

Good luck

Aren't you a vegan, which could account for why you can eat fennel raw? And am I dreaming or did I once hear that most Italian last names end with a vowel, like "Stipo". So she must of had some Italian in her blood which gave her a head start on the Italian cooking style thing. I will watch for when she is at Central Market again.

Actually, I am a pescetarian = a vegetarian that occasionally eat fish.

Here's a recipe to use the stalks.. Text/comments are his/hers, not mine..

Orange Pickled Fennel Stalks
http://frombellytobacon.com/2012/03/12/orange-pickled-fennel-stalks/

I have always wondered why, beyond price-gouging, that these stalks are included with the fennel bulb. I realize that you need some of them to keep the bulb in good shape, but not only do they charge by the pound, they are about half of the weight, but they do not fit in bags.

With this recipe, you are taking the trash-bin-bound stems and turning them into a favorite accompaniment to basically anything roasted, fried, or salted. The sweetness and the concentrated flavors of fennel and orange work as a great foil for both salt and fat.

I have an affinity for pickles and, like the rhubarb pickles that I made a few years back, this is a different pickle. It is sweet more than salty, but still sour. The top photo shows some of the pickles served with ham hock rillettes and lamb tail qawarma. For these two potted meats, one of which brings the saltiness from cured ham hocks and the other with the gaminess associated with lamb, the fennel and orange flavors really make a great pairing. This delicious versatility makes the venture worthwhile, but stocking your pickle shelf with pickles that are not only delicious and distinctive, but also maximize your food spend can only be a good thing.

Orange Pickled Fennel Stalks
http://frombellytobacon.com/2012/03/12/orange-pickled-fennel-stalks/

I have always wondered why, beyond price-gouging, that these stalks are included with the fennel bulb. I realize that you need some of them to keep the bulb in good shape, but not only do they charge by the pound, they are about half of the weight, but they do not fit in bags.

With this recipe, you are taking the trash-bin-bound stems and turning them into a favorite accompaniment to basically anything roasted, fried, or salted. The sweetness and the concentrated flavors of fennel and orange work as a great foil for both salt and fat.

I have an affinity for pickles and, like the rhubarb pickles that I made a few years back, this is a different pickle. It is sweet more than salty, but still sour. The top photo shows some of the pickles served with ham hock rillettes and lamb tail qawarma. For these two potted meats, one of which brings the saltiness from cured ham hocks and the other with the gaminess associated with lamb, the fennel and orange flavors really make a great pairing. This delicious versatility makes the venture worthwhile, but stocking your pickle shelf with pickles that are not only delicious and distinctive, but also maximize your food spend can only be a good thing.

Orange Pickled Fennel Stalks
Adapted from recipe by Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich

* Stalks from two fennel bulbs, sliced
* 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
* zest of 1/2 orange, peeled from the orange in strips
* 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup orange juice
* 1 Tbsp. sugar
* 4 black peppercorns, cracked

1: Combine sliced fennel with salt and let stand for one to two hours.
2: Drain fennel slices and combine them with the orange zest.
3: Pack fennel stalks and zest into a jar. Heat vinegar, orange juice, sugar and peppercorns to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the fennel and screw on lid.
4: Let cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator. It will be ready in a few days.

My precious .... FENNEL
I am harvesting a large bulbs everyday now ... so good ...

For lunch I made pasta using the fennel's stems.
It was amazing.

Chop the fennel stems/stalks in small round pieces (1/4" thick)
Saute' them on a little butter.
Add some salt and pepper
Cook until the fennel looks translucent .. you could add some water from the pasta that is boiling if needed
Add some green onions ... and 1 tbsp of cream. Remove from heat.
Add pasta and Parmigiano cheese ... and your mouth will be an explosion of flavors ....

I wanted to add some of the fennel leaves ... but I didn't ... to just keep its flavor pure ...ooohhh

Fabulous dish! Thank you for sharing such wonderful simple pleasure drthor.

My fennel is almost all ready to be harvest.
I am harvesting a couple of bulbs every day now. Some of them are starting to make the flower stem ...

Tonight I made : ROASTED FENNEL .... so yummy

Cut the fennel in 2" large pieces.
Put them in a bowl with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Mix well and lay down pieces on a tray covered with parchment paper.
Grill at 400F for 10 minutes

More Fennel ...
It starting to bolt .. so I am hurry up and harvest it all ...

Actually the "Fennel Pollen" is a delicacy in many fancy restaurants ...
If I live this bulb fennel to make flowers , the bulb will not be as sweet.
I will harvest all of it by the end of the week. Peppers and Eggplants need to be there instead.