Fennel

This weeknight chicken thigh and pasta dinner aligns equal levels of richness, satisfaction, health, wholesomeness, and ease. 

A pot roast so good you have to pull your kid out of school early, just to make sure it gets into the oven in enough time to cook. Now that's an endorsement.

This spaghetti with fennel and sardines turns a few simple pantry ingredients into a rustic seafood feast.

Sardines are a sustainable fish option, and tossing them with charred fennel and bright, roasted cherry tomatoes might just be the best thing to do with them.

Crisp, thinly sliced fennel ribbons (which have a licorice-like flavor) meet juicy orange wedges and briny olives in this fresh side.

Mala dry pot may be hot pot’s soupless cousin, but don’t mistake this lack of soup for lack of flavor. 

In these chicken dumplings, sweet apple and savory chicken come together, and pickled fennel is the lightly acidic bridge.

This fresh cabbage salad is always welcome addition to a spread with glazed ham, to add texture to fried fish sandwiches, or as a side dish at summer barbecues.

This warm, cheesy dip with sweet, caramelized fennel and Brie is perfect as an appetizer or for entertaining.

Carrot cake, but with beets—and the dreamiest frosting of all.

Spring root vegetables star in this velvety, creamy soup, a riff on classic carrot-ginger soup that’s brightened by fennel and enriched with savory miso. 

Sweet red or green grapes also have just the right amount of acidity. Sweet fennel and honey, Calabrian chile paste, and red wine vinegar make this a balanced meal.

This highly riffable dinner salad features cubes of leftover polenta, tossed in Parmesan, and crisped in a skillet for croutons that are naturally gluten-free, delightfully crunchy on the outside, and warm and creamy on the inside.

We tend to favor pickles that are bright with acid and low on sugar; anything labeled “half-sour” usually fits the bill. If using sweeter pickles, add a bit more vinegar and salt.

Use this coffee spice mix as a dry rub on chicken, steak, pork chops, or carrots for dinner, or fold into chocolate chip cookies, coffee cake, ice cream, and more for dessert—it plays happily on both sides of the field.

Gently cooking salmon fillets in olive oil makes their flesh become extravagantly tender and silky. While confit sounds fancy, this is a mostly hands-off oven method that’s ideal for weeknights.

This vibrant, tangy dish is an example of the Moorish influence on Spanish food. It’s also popularly made with quail or duck—another Moorish influence.

The chile paste for this pork is added in two stages: Initially it acts as a marinade and permeates the interior of the roast. After a second addition is applied, it’s roasted over high heat to create a spicy, toasty bark.