Fennel, redolent of anise, has a texture close to celery or onion with a refreshing but highly flavorful crunch that holds up well even with longer cooking times. If the licorice flavor is too much, it can be tamed and sweetened with roasting. Make sure to use all the parts! The bulb is the most common part called for in recipes, but the stalks can be used in place of celery in many dishes or used as a bed for grilling or roasting meats and fish. Fennel may come with or without stalks! Use to top white pizza; shave thinly for salads; pair with fresh citrus.

Babé Farms

Santa Maria, California

The creation of Babé Farms can be credited to its visionary founder Will Souza, a third generation farmer from a pioneer farm family in the Santa Maria Valley. Will, an avid world traveler, while in Europe in the early 1980's noticed the popularity of delicate salad greens called "mesclun" and mini "baby size" vegetables, a gourmet delight! An innovator by nature, Will returned to the family farm to capitalize on the idea of growing European lettuce varieties and mini "baby" vegetables. In 1986, Will and his founding partners; Frank & Judy Lundberg and Greg & Cherrie Pedigo established "Babé Farms", a small innovative company breaking the mold of traditional farming. Babé Farms was one of the first to introduce packaged European salad mixes "mesclun", hand-selected specialty greens, and a colorful array of baby vegetables into the United States and Canada.

Today, Babé Farms has "grown-up", growing and harvesting over seventy different varieties of gourmet vegetables, including a colorful spectrum of baby carrots, specialty radishes, baby beets, baby lettuces, specialty greens, organic kales and spring mix, just to name a few. Committed to food safety and sustainable farming practices, Babé is the testing ground for many new varieties specialty vegetables and leafy greens. Now offering an extensive list of nearly 600 customized packs that meet the needs of well-stocked retailers and top chefs across the U.S. and Canada. Based year-round in the mild climate of Santa Maria, California, Babé Farms processes and ships from their newly opened facility; Fresh Venture Foods.

Wrap the bulb in either plastic or a damp towel and store in the crisper drawer of the fridge. It will keep for up to a week, but use it as soon as possible for optimal flavor.