The bulb and seeds of fennel are well-known in Mediterranean cooking, but you may not know that they generally are harvested from different varieties.

Foeniculum dulce, also know as Florence fennel, produces the largest bulbs. F. vulgare, also known as common fennel, is generally grown for the seeds - used to flavor sausage or baked goods, among other foods - according to A Cook's Guide to Growing Herbs, Greens, & Aromatics, by Millie Owen.

Mostly white but tinged with green, the bulbs have tightly overlapping layers that can be tough and stringy on the outside, but tender closer to the core. The texture is crisp and celerylike; the flavor is of slightly sweet licorice. Cooking tames the bulb to a more sweet and mellow flavor.

Joe Gray writes for the Chicago Tribune.

What you should know

Buying

Look for large bulbs with stalks still intact, if possible, and "fluffy green fronds and a pearly sheen," writes Aliza Green in Field Guide to Produce.

Storing

Wrap in plastic and keep in the refrigerator up to three days, writes Green.

Preparing

Break off the feathery fronds and save to use as an herb or garnish. Cut off the stalks where they meet the bulb. Many cooks discard them, but the stalks can be sliced into stews and soups. Or use them instead of a rack under a roast chicken or pork roast. The aroma will flavor the meat subtly. Trim the bottom of the bulb and remove and discard the outer layer if it's tough, stringy or bruised. Cut the bulb in half vertically and remove the core (though a little dense, it makes a fine nibble). Slice or dice for your recipe.

Serving and cooking

Eat raw slices as they are or with a dip. Or add thinly slivered pieces to a green salad.

Shaved with a mandoline or the wide side of a grater, fennel takes on a lighter, juicier texture, transforming it into a knockout salad, dressed in a simple vinaigrette and topped with shaved parmesan.

The bulbs can be braised whole and served alongside chicken or fish.

Throw sliced or diced fennel into sautes, stir-fries or soups. Or bake sliced fennel and potatoes tossed with olive oil, butter and salt, as Marcella Hazan advises in Marcella's Italian Kitchen.

[Joe Gray]

Shaved Fennel With Red Onion, Olive Oil and Blood Oranges

Serves 4 to 5

1 large fennel bulb (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), shaved (4 to 5 cups)

1/2 medium red onion, also shaved (about 1/2 cup)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

3 blood oranges, peeled, seeded and sectioned

a handful of fronds from the fennel, snipped into tiny pieces with scissors

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the shaved fennel, red onion, olive oil and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and toss with a fork. Add the oranges and stir gently. Cover and chill until cold (unless the ingredients were very cold to begin with).

Just before serving, toss in the snipped, feathery fronds from the fennel. Top each serving with a few grinds of black pepper.

Per serving (based on 5 servings): 167 calories, 1 gram protein, 14 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 83 milligrams sodium

Recipe courtesy of Mollie Katzen, Tribune Media Services