The Purloined Recipe

1 pound tender green beans, trimmed and cut on the diagonal
1 large fennel bulb, about 1 pound
2 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons water
1 flat anchovy fillet, minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Coarse salt to taste
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and quartered
Freshly ground pepper

Blanch green beans in an abundant amount of boiling salted water until they are tender, yet still crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Shake dry.

Trim the stalks off the fennel bulb and cut away any tough outer leaves. Slice fennel into thin strips, leaving the core behind.

To make dressing combine olive oil, lemon juice, water, anchovy, garlic, and salt in a large bowl. When ready to serve toss the fennel and green beans in the dressing. Sprinkle the olives and grind the pepper over the top.

Recipes By Ingredient, The Recipes, beans, fennel, garlic, salad dressings, salads

(recipe from the book Local Flavors used with permission of the author, Deborah Madison)

Serves 4.

The Saffron Dumplings (makes 20 small dumplings)
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pinches saffron threads
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup minced fennel greens
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs

1. Heat the milk with the butter, saffron, ½ teaspoon salt, and a little pepper.
   When the butter has melted, stir in the fennel greens, then add the flour all at
   once. Remove the pan from the heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to
   make a smooth paste, then return the pan to low heat and work the paste until it
   leaves a film on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and beat in the eggs one
   at a time, until completely smooth.
2. Bring a large skillet of water to a simmer and add 1 teaspoon salt. Drop
   Loosely heaped teaspoons of batter into the pan. Cook gently until they’re firm,
   turning once, about 5 minutes. When done, transfer the dumplings to a plate and
   set them aside until needed.

The Soup
1 hefty or 2 smaller fennel bulbs, about 6 ounces
1 bunch scallions, including a few inches of the greens
1 large artichoke
1 quart vegetable stock, light chicken stock, or water
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely snipped chives
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil to finish

1. Quarter the fennel bulb(s) and slice very thinly crosswise. Chop enough of the greens to make ¾ cup. Trim the scallions and slice them crosswise about ¾ inch
   thick. Pare and quarter the artichoke, removing the leaves and the choke, and
   slice.
2. Put the stock into a saucepan. Add all of the vegetables, half of the herbs, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil then simmer gently until the vegetables are
   tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining herbs and the
   dumplings. Let steep for 10 minutes, then pepper lightly. Serve with a thin drizzle
   of olive oil in each bowl.

cilantro, fennel, onions, parsley, soups

(recipe from the book Local Flavors used with permission of the author, Deborah Madison)

Serves 4

This tender mess of pale green ribbons flecked with yellow lemon zest is the kind of dish I’d make a meal of with some egg noodles thrown in. But it also makes a delicious bed for monkfish, cod, or wild salmon.

½ small Savoy or other green cabbage
1 large fennel bulb, quartered
1 large leek, white part only
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon 3 tablespoons chervil or parsley leaves

1. Cut the cabbage, fennel, and leek into very thin slices and wash. Don’t dry, though.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, wide skillet. Add the vegetables and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Cover the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes. Check after 5 minutes and make sure there’s a little moisture so that the
   vegetables steam and don’t brown. Meanwhile, simmer the lemon juice in a
   small skillet until only 1 tablespoon remains. Remove from the heat and whisk in
   the remaining butter.
3. Finely chop the lemon zest with the chervil. Stir half into the butter and add the other half to the vegetables. Toss well, taste for salt, and season with
   pepper.

Recipes By Ingredient, The Recipes, cabbage, entrees, fennel, leeks, side dishes

(recipe from the book Local Flavors used with permission of the author, Deborah Madison)

Serves 4

Serve this delicate gratin for early spring or fall as an accompaniment to fish or roasted chicken or as a vegetable main course.

3 large leeks, white parts only
2 fennel bulbs, about 6 ounces each
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the greens, sliced
1/4 cup chopped funnel greens OR 2 table-spoons each chopped parsley and tarragon
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups milk or half-and-half
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly butter a 2-quart gratin dish. Chop the leeks into 1/2-inch pieces and wash them well in plenty of water, separating the rings. Let them soak while you trim and quarter the fennel. Slice it very thinly, including the core. Bring a skillet of water to a boil; add the fennel and a pinch of salt. Simmer until the fennel is translucent, about 2 minutes, then drain.
2. Melts the butter in a wide skillet. Lift the leeks out of their soaking water and add them to the pan along with the fennel. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes, adding the scallions after 5 minutes. Add the fennel greens and lemon zest, taste for salt, and season with pepper. Scrape the vegetables into the prepared dish.
3. Beat the eggs and mild together and add 1.2 teaspoon salt plus the cheese. Pour it over the vegetables, then bake until the top is browned here and there in places, about 40 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes, and serve.

VARIATION WITH ENDIVE: Slice or chop 1 or 2 white Belgian endives and cook
them with the leeks and fennel.

Recipes By Ingredient, The Recipes, entrees, fennel, leeks, onions