Fennel

Trim off the stalks and any tough outer layer, then cut the bulb lengthways and rinse between its tightly packed layers. Slice or wedge it; the feathery fronds are edible too.

Cut the bulb into wedges, toss with oil and roast at 200°C for about 25–30 minutes, turning once, until browned at the edges and tender when pierced with a knife.

Yes. Slice the bulb very thinly across its layers and add it to salads or serve it with a dip; lemon juice helps keep the slices bright and balances their sweet, anise-like flavour.

Keep the bulb in the fridge in a loosely closed bag and use it within about a week. Remove the stalks and fronds first if you want the bulb to stay crisp; wrap the fronds separately and use them soon.

Fennel pairs especially well with orange, lemon, olives and fish. Try shaved fennel with orange segments and olives, or bake fennel wedges beneath white fish.

For a similar crisp texture in a salad, use celery; it will not have fennel’s sweet, anise-like flavour. If that flavour matters, add a small pinch of crushed fennel seeds as well.

They come from the same plant, but the bulb is the swollen, crisp base eaten as a vegetable, while the seeds are dried fruits used as a spice. Seeds have a much more concentrated, warm anise flavour.

Yes: chop the feathery fronds like a soft herb and scatter them over salads, fish or roasted vegetables just before serving. Their flavour is delicate, so prolonged cooking can make it fade.