Caramelized Fennel Bulbs With Goat’s Cheese

There’s still the smallest hint of anise after the caramelization, and it pairs beautifully with the melted tangy goat cheese topping that gets crumbled over these guys. And when you toss in some fresh dill and lemon zest, you have the most wonderful sweet-sour-savory-herbal appetizer around. It’s wonderfully easy to make, just slice up the bulb and put it in a wide pan with some butter and olive oil. Flip a few times to cook evenly, and toss with other delicious things before serving. Most of the time spent making the dish is just sitting in the kitchen peering at your iPhone while you’re waiting for the fennel bulbs to finish caramelizing. It’s a great appetizer to make if you’re preparing other dishes simultaneously (hint hint, Thanksgiving) because the bulbs can sit there simmering in the pan while you’re tending to a few other dishes in the meantime.

This recipe is from the incredibly rich and vibrant cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. Not a vegetarian himself, he wrote this astounding encyclopedia of vegetarian dishes that compounds their flavors in a dazzling and seasonal array of food that is at once both beautiful and ridiculously tasty. Keeping most of the recipes quite simple like this one, the instructions are straightforward, warm, and easy to follow, and it’s a great guide for those who are looking to incorporate more vegetables into their lives but are scratching their heads a bit about just where and how to start. And with that recommendation I have some good news as well, if you have a tablet or e-reader, the e-cookbook of Plenty is currently on sale for $3.99 as a part of Chronicle Books ‘Eye Candy’ rotating e-cookbook sale. Huzzah!! A ridiculously good deal for a book with over 120 dishes in it, if I do say so myself. And with that I will leave you with to your vegetable conquests, and wish you the best of luck in your Thanksgiving meal-planning bonanza.