Fennel bulb and foliage

Fennel has a taste of liquorice when it is raw. Temper by slicing finely and ‘pickling’ in fresh orange juice for an hour, it makes a good salad or garnish on its own or mixed into a green salad. The bulb can also be used in every way as one uses onions, fried or the ‘scallops’ separated and added to a stew. It makes for a wonderful fake waterblommetjie stew, in the absence of the waterblommetjies. Just use stewing lamb, some onions and fennel and potatoes, salt and pepper and a good stock to cook the stew in. Add a little lemon juice just before serving. Sprinkle foliage in fine bits over salads esp. potato salad or fish. Can be frozen, will turn black but still taste good.