This week Mr. Produce guy sent us home with tons of lettuce and fennel. I haven’t really cooked with fennel before, so if you have any suggestions you’d totally be helping me out.
Although a lot of the pears and lettuce were edible, The Girl and I decided to give it to the chickens. Lately we’ve been sending more food their way instead of preserving it because I am trying to cut my feed costs a bit. I’m sure the chickens would rather eat fresh fruits and veggies any day of the week so I don’t think they mind at all.
In fact, I think the chickens look forward to their weekly scrap box as much as we do.
Typically we will toss some of the scraps on the ground, and leave the rest in the banana boxes they come in. For some strange reason the hens LOVE to perch themselves on the side of the box and stare at the food until they are ready to dive in and get a bite to eat. It’s quite a sight to see.
Remember Piggey? We picked her up for FREE from the Mother Earth News Fair last June? She is quite the character. You would love her!
Peace Out Girl Scouts, have a great day. Now go out and find yourself some food scraps.
~Mavis
Would you like to see what else we have brought home over the past 8 months?
Head on over HERE to read all the past stories and to see all the pictures.
Mary says
With fennel, I chop up the bulb, toss it with lots of olive oil and garlic, put in in a casserole and sprinkle liberally with parmesan before roasting it.
JJ Ordway says
I use fennel in slaw! This is great to add to BBQ pulled pork sandwiches too!
Ingredients
1 fennel bulb
(core removed and sliced very thinly- save the fronds)
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
2 green onions, chopped
*optional-chopped basil or cilantro to taste
2 strips bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
For the dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
Directions
Toss the fennel, cabbage, scallions, herbs and bacon together in a medium bowl. Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, fennel fronds, sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a small bowl. Add the dressing to the slaw and toss to coat.
Erin Wilson says
A friend of mine makes an amazing salad with thinly sliced fennel (raw), thinly sliced apple and peccorino cheese. Oh my.
Tara says
I made this a few years back, very tasty
Fennel Coleslaw:
Grate fennel, and carrots, chop onions, and mix with traditional slaw dressing of
mayo, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper. Even add some red pepper flakes for a little bit of a kick.
indio says
That Piggy chicken has some mighty long tail feathers compared to your other birds, maybe it was the camera angle. Are you sure that “she” isn’t a “he?”
Adrian says
I like to cook up some breakfast sausage, add a thinly sliced onion and thinly sliced bulb of fennel, then just as everything is done cooking, add a diced tart apple (like granny smith). It’s really good with eggs and/or toast.
Lisa says
Potato Fennel Gratin from Barefoot Contessa. Amazing.
aline says
That was going to be my suggestion too! Delicious!
Shari says
I love your chickens!! We have 8 various Bantams and we love them. They all have very different personalities. Ours are named after several different cartoons, the main one being Phineas and Ferb. So while we have mainly hens they for the most part have boy names. I think that Perry our black Cochin is my favorite. She loves to talk to you and to be snuggled. Thank you for sharing your girls with those of us with our own little back yard flock.
Veronica says
Roasting fennel and onion (both sliced) in olive oil and kosher salt is amazing.
Stephanie says
I dont have a recipe, but I love fennel and sausage soup!
Andrea says
I thought this was about how to get free Reclaimed Food and not about recipes.
We know all how to cook now but we still don’t know how to get the free food!!!
Mavis says
If you click on “Read More” links at the bottom of the story you can read all about how I acquired the food and what I’ve done with it over the past 8 months. 🙂
Andrea says
Thank you. I finally found it. Great pics of the veggies and fruits. They don’t give anything up here where I live. I tried already. Everybody is scared of lawsuits.
Angela F says
the leafy bits on the fennel stalks are also really tasty chopped up as an herby addition to stews and the like- it tastes a bit like dill. One more part of the fennel plant to use!
Kelsi says
Hi Kelsi from Pullet Play Yard here. I really want to know what breed is the hen that is perching on the banana box looking in.. The third picture
Mavis says
I have no idea. 🙁 She was given to us and she is some sort of bantam and we LOVE her to bits. 🙂
Kelsi says
Well she is super cute!!
Gail Knight says
The hen looks like some color of a Silkie chicken
Jessica says
If you have a juicer, try juicing some fennel, super yummy and good for your tummy!
Nancy says
Place the whole fennel in a pot of boiling water and salt until tender with a prick of a knife. Drain, let cool. Chop in large pieces. Add salt, pepper, fresh thinly sliced garlic, a generous amount of EV olive oil and serve. Cafe Vignole Seattle recipe.