September 2006 Newsletter
Crinella 2004 Sauvignon Blanc is a wine you will want to drink this
fall. When my brother Frank and I were growing up in Sonoma County, we spent a great deal of time outdoors
"exploring" as many as we could of the old ranches and vineyards. We learned early to be on the lookout
for wild foods we could bring home to enhance our family meals probably because we always received praise from our parents and grandmother for being so thoughtful.
We picked blackberries, mushrooms, walnuts, mustard greens, chicory roots and wild fennel.
which is a tall, graceful plant with yellow flower heads you generally see all over California. It is not a
native plant but was brought by seed to California from Mediterranean countries. It flourished in the California climate and is now just about everywhere. It is not on any endangered list so help yourself. Wild fennel has
a superb flavor.
This time of the year, especially if you have some small children around, it is wonderful to go for a walk
and gather wild fennel. Pick the stalks and separate later into seed heads,
stalks, and fronds. Use the fronds fresh. Put the seed heads into a paper bag to dry and release the seed
after which the seeds can be stored in little jars. The stalks can be used fresh or dry when grilling.
Wild fennel fronds, seeds and stalks are very useful in a sophisticated kitchen. The seeds can be used
as spices, or tea. You can put some seeds into a jar of olive oil for a unique flavor, or you can add the seeds
to vinegar for an herb vinegar. It is also said that chewing fennel seeds depresses the appetite and
is a natural way to control weight. The fresh lacy fronds can be chopped and put in salads, soups or used
as any herb in flavoring meats. The stalks are wonderful for grilling.
Here are some of my favorite wild fennel recipes:
If you do not have access to wild fennel,
click here
and send us your shipping address. We will be glad to send you some.
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