Fun with Fennel Fronds

...and alliteration

My parents had this massive fennel plant that came up as a volunteer right next to the steps that lead down from their back patio.  As most volunteers are it was very much in the way, so much so that they have cut it down multiple time for it to just grow right back.  I really wish I would have gotten a picture of it, but of course I wasn't thinking.

Anywho...I took some cuttings from the fronds home with me and after some thinking about what to do with them I decided on a dip.  I strained a bit of plain yogurt to make it a bit thicker (or you could just use Greek) and added sour cream, green onion, fennel frond, salt and pepper.  Doesn't get much simpler than that.  Adjust the measurements to your taste, but start with about a cup of each of the yogurt and sour cream, one stalk of green onion and 2-3 tablespoons of the chopped fronds.

Fennel fronds taste very much like Dill so if you don't have any on hand go right ahead and substitute.  I ended up using this dip as a sauce for Quesadillas, a sandwich spread and salad dressing.

"Date" Night

Does sitting down to watch a Netflix movie with dinner and drinks count as a date?  I'm not really sure, but it was certainly enjoyable anyway.

Spoiler alter...this picture is terrible...

As you may or may not be able to see this is a baking sheet of nachos.  Topped with black beans, spring onion, cilantro, both hot and mild peppers, and of course plenty of cheese.  Sides included sour cream, salsa and some of my mom's famous margaritas.

Let the movie begin!

Missing again?

Wow, I didn't expect it to be a month since I would post again.  Don't worry, I have been cooking and taking pictures, I just haven't had the chance to sit down and write about it.  Life has been crazy between getting back to work, all the summer birthdays and getting back in the bicycle saddle.

Where I left left off was the Greenling box that was delivered on June 13th.

Mixed Potatoes - Yellow Prairie Farm
Hot Pepper Mix - My Father's Farm
Lettuce Head - Acadian Family Farm
Noonday Sweet Onions - Northeast Texas Sustainable Food Center
Radishes - Acadian Family Farm 
Cilantro - Acadian Family Farm

Tomatoes - Northeast Texas Sustainable Food Center
Avocado - G&S Groves 
Blackberries - Lightsey Farm

This particular box has been one of my favorites because of how many of my favorites there are.  All of the fruit promptly made it into my morning smoothies.  The night I opened this up, the first thing I did was make a very French sandwich out of those radishes for dinner.

I had some leftover crusty bread, a slather of butter, the radishes thinly sliced, salt, pepper and a bit of the Cilantro.  This dinner made me really happy.

The only other meal that came out of this box was a salad to use up the lettuce and tomato.  You will also notice a creamy fennel frond dressing that I made, olives, spring onions from a previous Greenling box, and a few pieces of leftover lamb.

(Say hi to PW in the background!)

It shouldn't be another month before I check in again, but you never know.  I am going to be elbow deep in making Pierogis as a birthday present all week.  Wish me luck!