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Thursday 18 September 2008

My Fennel Bouquet


I have finally figured out how short I would have to hang my bouquet of fennel and actually got round to doing it. I think I got "stuck" attempting it because I hated to cut that gorgeous almost "tree" of fennel back. The aroma hung in the air near the spot where it grew. Now a lot of it hangs in the corner of the kitchen almost next to my "office" .. and dangerously enough, where Emma takes some of her naps. I did this while she was occupied with other excitement .. chasing down here assorted springs to play with. Sophie doesn't give a hoot about what I hang in the kitchen as long as her meals are on time. So I am safe with her .. she can keep a secret. So what do I do now ? Wait for the fennel seeds to dry and jar them up perhaps with some of the fern foliage. I don't even know what I will use it with in the department of cooking. I just love drying herbs and jarring them. The scents are truly aroma therapy for me !




10 comments:

Gail said...

Does the house still smell good? Gail

ConsciousGardener said...

I love to hang up my fresh herbs as well...then if I don't use them to cook with, after they dry, I use them to start up the chiminea...smells so nice:) Keeps the bugs away too! Nice blog!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a fantastic bunch of fennel, Joy! I am *so* jealous. Once you've dried the seeds, you can use them when baking chicken breasts (rub the skins with butter and sprinkle the fennel seeds on top), and they're great in pumpkin soup, homemade bread, hot fruit soups, and fruit salads. Fennel-seed tea is soothing as well. And you can always simply chew a handful after meals as a breath freshener. Enjoy them! As you say, just smelling those seeds is therapeutic!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

"ben" ... I had an idea YOU would have LOTS of ideas for me ! Thank you ! .. I am determined to use them in as many different things as possible. I grew a caraway plant one year but it didn't go so well .. we love caraway bread .. so now I have some great cooking (if I can do it!) to add these marvelous seeds and fronds to !
I do love the smell of it so much yet still : )

Hello there consciousgardener ! Thank you for stopping by : )
That is a great idea too .. the smell of herbs is so theraputic no matter how we use them .. you made me think of toasting marshmallows now ! LOL

Gali ... I could stand in that corner of the kitchen all day girl ! LOL

The Hunky Gardener said...

I love the sumac!!!! And the new look (for Halloween?) is also great!

Anonymous said...

I don't have a clue! But your girls sound like my Charlie Ross and Abigail. Charlie is a thorough investigator. He happily jumps amongst the outside bushes, certain he's seen a critter he must corral. Abi just wants to make sure I don't get out of her sight.
Brenda

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Brenda .. I dry some things like the rosemary in paper bags on top of the fridge .. works perfectly for that .. but some things need to be dried hanging upside down on some stalk .. and Emma .. well she is a nutcase for jumping at things .. so I need a garden room just for me ? LOL

Hi there Hunky ! .. thanks .. sort of a change .. you know how gardeners are .. always poking around "changing" things ? haha

Anonymous said...

Hey Joy! Check out today's RealAge articles to find many more ways to use fennel (and health benefits, too!). It's www.health@RealAge.com, and the article is "Canned Soup." Great tips!

Anonymous said...

Mmm! Can smell that fennel from here. And do you host swallowtail butterflies, as it's one of the larval food sources? You certainly got great tips on utilizing that handsome bouquet.

My house is so tiny, that I can't even have any houseplants, seedlings in spring, silk flowers or drying herbs. The dog is fine and wouldn't touch anything, if she could reach it. My 4 boys, being the intrepid felines that they are, would stand on each other's shoulders to reach anything green, hanging or vaguely interesting.

I love the fennel bulb for cooking... around here, it's available as "anise" and is an essential component of my fall vegetable chowder, along with about 5 other vegetables. Everything's cooked separately, for layered flavors and finished off with a slightly thickened milk/cream base. Yum! It must be fall - I feel like cooking hearty dishes, again!/Deb

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Deb .. now I have this mental picture of 4 cats on each other's shoulders taking swats at my bouquet .. while a little dog sits back and enjoys the show ? haha
Wow .. that recipe sounds amazing .. now you have made me hungry !

"ben" You love doctor Oz too ??? I have a link to that site and drop by every so often (when they send me info) .. so I have to go check that out now , thanks !