How to Love Fennel in Three Easy Steps

1. Buy a bulb of fennel.
2. Eat.
3. Love.

I just discovered fennel and I LOVE it.  We made an Italian sausage and fennel pasta sauce which was almost too delicious.  I ate it with my fingers, standing over the cooking pot, while talking to my sister on the phone a couple of months ago.  There were no leftovers.

This week I've been throwing fennel into our salads.  Saturday we had a salad with fennel, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and stilton cheese.  Last night we had this one with fennel and roasted pears.  (I grew that lettuce myself.)

My mom says fennel costs $4.00 a bulb at her grocery store, but I get it for £0.64, and we use half a bulb per salad.  AND (and!) I'm growing it in the allotment this year.  Even at $4.00, I might still buy it, because it is sooo delicious and makes me sooo happy even when 3 different countries are trying to be mean to me at the same time.