Fennel

Fennel is a quadruple threat, or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a quadruple treat. The feathery leaves make a nice, dill-like addition to fish dishes. The stalks contribute the same anise flavor when fish is roasted over them, as in the French dish loup au fenouil (sea bass with fennel). The seeds first appear as yellow blossoms in the umbrellalike spray that marks this plant as a member of the Umbelliferae family (along with carrots and many other vegetables and spices)*. But it is the swollen, bulbous leaf base of the variety known as Florence fennel that has made this versatile plant the favorite vegetable of Italy.