"Ten Ways" Fennel in Champagne Vinegar with Fines Herbes

Put on to boil in a deep saucepan about three cups of water.

Remove the tops and outer layer of each fennel bulb, reserving some of the light green leaves nearest to the top of each bulb.

Cut off the hard bottom and remove the core; slice the fennel thinly from top to bottom.

When the water boils, drop the fennel into the saucepan. Cook for about three minutes, or until just tender.

Remove the fennel with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Pour off all but one cup of the cooking water. Add the vinegar, the chopped fennel leaves, a pinch of salt and the herbs.

Boil for about five minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half.

Put the fennel into two sterilized canning jars (or more, depending on the size of the bulbs and the size of the jars). Strain the herbs and cover the fennel with the cooking liquid. (I strain the herbs because they can make the relish bitter if left in the jar more than ten days or a week.)

Seal the jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Here are ten ways to use this lovely concoction.

Chop it finely, toss with a touch of olive oil and a good sweet mustard and put on a savory herbed sausage, and serve on a roll (or better yet, put the sausage and fennel on a hot dog bun, wrap it up and take it with you to a baseball game). Along the same lines, you wrap a good pre-cooked sausage in your favorite biscuit dough as a pig-in-a –blanket, cook it up and take it to a ballgame (or not), served with the fennel, prepared as described above, as a side dish.

On a pulled pork (or chicken) barbeque sandwich: Coarsely chop the fennel, add a teaspoon or two of aioli or good mayonnaise per serving and a tiny pinch of organic raw sugar (or regular sugar, if you prefer). Use instead of or with lettuce, as you prefer.

In a salad with red leaf lettuce, carrot, blood or other sweet orange sections, and a vinaigrette made using the fennel vinegar, finely chopped shallots, parsley, and chives, and olive oil, a tiny pinch of salt, a touch of mustard and maple syrup to taste.

On a leftover turkey sandwich. Drain the fennel well and chop the large pieces coarsely. Lay the fennel directly on the piece of bread with mayo or aioli on it, so that it will create a nice little dressing when the two meet. This is particularly good when you've also put cranberry relish on the sandwich!!

Toss with aioli or good mayonnaise, stone ground brown mustard to taste, a tiny pinch of sugar or a bit of maple syrup, and a grated carrot or quarter of an apple. Use as you would a celeriac remoulade.

In a muffaletta style sandwich: Use milder flavored meats to enjoy the counterpoint of the fennel against the olives. It works really well!

In egg salad or traditional American potato salad: Use this in place of whatever other relish you’d use. Very finely chop and use instead of, or with (but reduce the amount of) finely chopped celery.

As a lovely room-temperature side dish (I always serve this in small glass bowls, because it is so pretty): Drain the fennel, put it in a small mixing bowl and toss with one tablespoon of fruity olive oil per serving -- I like good Spanish oil for this -- and then sprinkle on and toss with: fresh parsley, two tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice, the zest of an orange, finely chopped (to taste). Some tangerine or orange sections (use a small, sweet variety) are nice in this too, giving it color, too.

In a warm potato salad. See the recipe for “Fennel in Warm Potato Salad with Bacon,” posted separately.

Use the fennel and herb-flavored vinegar in a vinaigrette: Depending on its strength, you may want to reduce the vinegar by simmering it gently, as it likely is diluted somewhat. Whisk it into olive oil with a bit of maple syrup or sugar and a pinch of salt, in the proportions you usually use for a vinaigrette. My usual is, roughly, for each ½ c. olive oil, add 3 T. vinegar, one tsp maple syrup (more or less, depending on how strong and sweet it is) and ¼ tsp salt.