Ah yes, the fennel. Finochio. Anise. Whatever name it goes by, it is my bulbous friend. If you doubt my love of this wonderful and aromatic vegetable, check out this previous post. Or this. Or this. Or... this.

Lucky for me, my super chef of a husband shares my obsession, and one night recently came up with this Italian style baked fennel recipe. The flavors are refreshing like a salad, but the bread adds depth and heft to the recipe, making for a perfect light meal in and of itself. Bake it up. Pour a glass of red wine. Light a candle. And let this seasonal treat work its magic on you.

Click here for an analysis of fennel's nutrition. 1 cup of raw fennel has a mere 27 calories, but an abundance of vitamin A, folate, calcium, phosphorous, and other goodies.

Rustic Baked Fennel

Ingredients:

1 large fennel bulb, quartered
1/2 - 3/4 cup of smashed up bread cubes or leftover crusty bread
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
8-10 oil-cured black olives, roughly chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning (ours contains oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
splash of red wine
3 TB extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Arrange fennel quarters in small baking dish, spaced evenly apart
Sprinkle bread around fennel (not on top)
Add garlic and black olives
Top with the tomatoes (with juice)
Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
Drizzle wine and olive oil on top of mixture, making sure to brush the exposed fennel liberally with oil
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until fennel is tender (note: baking time varies depending on size and thickness of fennel bulbs)
Remove cover and bake for 10 minutes more

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