Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick tap root
that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it outside because
there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine roots. Thinking I'll
clean it later and try cooking it. This morning I found it mostly
eaten by either raccoons or rabbits.

Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just good for
animal feed?

Hello, James!
You wrote on 5 Dec 2006 06:36:13 -0800:

J Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick
J tap root that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it
J outside because there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine
J roots. Thinking I'll clean it later and try cooking it.
J This morning I found it mostly eaten by either raccoons or
J rabbits.

J Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just
J good for animal feed?

The rabbits or whatever were right! Try Googling for braised
fennel. There are lots of good recipes.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

In article . com,
says...
Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick tap root
that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it outside because
there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine roots. Thinking I'll
clean it later and try cooking it. This morning I found it mostly
eaten by either raccoons or rabbits.

Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just good for
animal feed?



It's a great treat. It can be sliced/julienned and used raw in salads.
It can be cooked as well - I think it goes well with fish.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"James" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick tap root
that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it outside because
there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine roots. Thinking I'll
clean it later and try cooking it. This morning I found it mostly
eaten by either raccoons or rabbits.

Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just good for
animal feed?


Are you talking about the white-ish green-ish bulb???

James wrote:
Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick tap root
that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it outside because
there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine roots. Thinking I'll
clean it later and try cooking it. This morning I found it mostly
eaten by either raccoons or rabbits.

Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just good for
animal feed?

The bulb is edible and there is a variety of fennel that makes a big
bulb. Never tried to eat the root of ordinary fennel, just use the tops
for culinary use. Any decent seed catalog will have bulbing fennel in
it. But, be warned, it's a taste that takes some getting used to, sort
of like licorice. Both types of fennel grow easily in my USDA Zone 9b
herb garden.

George

James wrote:
Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick tap root
that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it outside because
there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine roots. Thinking I'll
clean it later and try cooking it. This morning I found it mostly
eaten by either raccoons or rabbits.

Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just good for
animal feed?

There are two kinds of fenel, one is grown for its bulb (Sweet Florence
or Finuccio), the other for it's seeds (common fennel)... which did you
grow... and why just one, fennel is extremely prolific, and common
fennel is very invasive. The one grown for it's bulb does have kind of
a thick root but it is kind of spongey and not very palatable... I
suppose animals that subsist on roots and tubers (wood chucks, voles,
etc.) will eat it, probably deer as well. If you allow common fennel
to go to seed you will never get rid of it, and it will take over so
that nothing else can grow, your neighbors will try to kill you.

Sheldon

On Dec 5, 9:36 am, "James" wrote:
Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick tap root
that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it outside because
there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine roots. Thinking I'll
clean it later and try cooking it. This morning I found it mostly
eaten by either raccoons or rabbits.

Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just good for
animal feed?

I have eaten several taproots, typically peeled, raw cut into sticks,
with olive oil dressing. To this day I eat radicchio and cardoon roots,
both of them pretty good, with a root smell which is somewhat like
licorice and which I find pleasant. I have never tried fennel but my
guess is it will be the same.

I planted maybe a dozen seeds of the bulb kind. Only one survived. I
usually nip some of the tender leaf tips for snacking in the garden.
The rabbits left enough of the tap root for me to try a little raw
piece. It only had a hint of fennel taste. Probably would go well in
a stew.

The above soil part I split between me and the rabbits.

Don't know if it would have gone to seed. Last night's low was 22F and
there were no seedheads.

"James" schreef in bericht
ups.com...
Yesterday I harvested my only fennel plant. It had a thick tap root
that looked like parsnip or horseradish. I left it outside because
there was a lot of soil clinging to the fine roots. Thinking I'll
clean it later and try cooking it. This morning I found it mostly
eaten by either raccoons or rabbits.

Anyone here know if it's good as human food or is it just good for
animal feed?


Next time you find it, use it raw or cooked and serve it with white fish. I
envy you for having such a fresh supply