Growing Fennel

GROW YOUR OWN FENNEL

Fennel is grown for its fleshy stem and it's also an extremely pretty plant with its feathery foliage. Fennel imparts its aniseed flavour to many fish dishes, chicken recipes, stuffing's and salads, and is available as either a herb (herb fennel) or a bulb-like vegetable (Florence fennel). Both forms are a flavorsome delight and given a little know-how should be within every gardener’s reach.Delicious either steamed, grilled or roasted, Florence Fennel can be thinly sliced or grated raw to add crunch to salads. Try growing this deliciously different vegetable which brings a refreshing change to your taste buds!

Sowing And Growing

• Fennel grows best during warm summers and needs an open, sunny site.
• Fennel never survives transplanting, so you will have to plant it outdoors and trust that it will survive the winter.
• Prepare a seedbed in fertile, well-drained soil, adding plenty of well-rotted organic matter the winter before planting.Fennel thrives on warm, moist, fertile, sandy soils.Dig holes for your plants, each should be at least a foot apart and six inches deep. 
• Place three or four seeds in each hole. Cover the seeds with 3 inches of soil, then place a time released fertilizer stake in the holes. This will help to provide the plants with nutrients they need come the spring 
• Water each hole well cover each hole and its immediate surroundings with a thick layer of cedar chip mulch. This will help top insulate the seeds from the winter snows and repel insects and vermin from digging the seeds back up. Leave the seeds until spring. They will need almost no water during the winter as they will hibernate.
• The seeds should germinate within the week and sprout through the mulch within the month. It will be another three months until your fennel has matured enough to be used for its leaves, seeds, or bulbs.

Harvesting And Storage

• The leaves can be harvested at any time.Harvest the bulb by slicing across the base, at soil level, once it has reached the size of a golf ball.
• For the seeds, allow the yellow flowers to fade and harvest once the seed heads have fully ripened.
• The bulb is best sweet, ripe and fresh (try it raw in salads) but it will also keep for several weeks in a cool, dry place.

Few Health Benefits Of Fennel

• Constipation- Fennel seeds, particularly in powdered form, act as laxative. The roughage helps clearance of bowels whereas the stimulating effect helps maintain the proper peristaltic motion of the intestines, thereby helping proper excretion.
• Stomach Problems(Flatulence, Bloating, Indigestion- Clinical studies have shown that anethole, fenchone and the antioxidant properties of fennel help in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders like flatulence, bloating, indigestion and intestinal spasm and cramping.
• Anemia-Iron,Histidine and amino acid found in fennel, are helpful in treatment of anemia.
• Menstrual Disorders- Fennel is also an Emenagogue, i.e. it eases and regulates menstruation by regulating hormonal action properly in the body.

Oven-Roasted Sea Bream With Fennel Recipe

Ingredients

• A glug of olive oil
• 2 whole sea bream (about 800g each)
• 1 head of fennel, sliced, with the root removed
• 2 large potatoes, washed, skin on and sliced very thin
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
• 200ml white wine
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lemon, zested, then sliced
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 tblsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

• Ask your fishmonger to prepare the bream for you as it needs to be cleaned, with the guts, eyes and gills removed. Keep it in the fridge until you use it. 
• Preheat your oven to 180C. Add a dash of olive oil to a large, oven-proof dish, then in go the fennel, sliced potatoes, onion, garlic, wine and 100ml water.
• Season the fish, and place the lemon slices, thyme and rosemary inside it, before laying it in the oven dish.
• Cover the dish with foil, and place in the oven for 15 minutes (if it looks a little dry during the cooking, add a touch more water). To check the fish is cooked, stick the handle of a spoon or fork into the thickest part – it should go through easily.
• Remove from the oven, and finish with the grated lemon zest and parsley, and serve family-style, in the middle of the table.