Fun with Fennel

My friend Ashley brought back some fennel from the farm, so I experimented with it last night for dinner. The result: grilled halibut with fennel, onions and carrots, topped with a white wine-lemon-shallot reduction and white bean sauce; side salad of grilled fennel, orange, almonds and fresh mint in a light mustard dressing, and mojitos with a homemade simple syrup made from the fresh mint. The firm white fish held up to the strong anise flavor of the fennel and absorbed the light, citrus-infused broth, with the carrots (and tomato and carmelized onions and shallots marinating in the white beans) sweet and soft as the fish, dissolving on the tongue. Served over an arugula salad, the meal followed the "Mediterranean diet" - half the plate covered in vegetables (and the orange for fruit) - and the rest the lean protein of the nutrient-rich white fish and fiber-filled beans. The orange and fennel was also a nice pairing, the tangy fruit drawing out another element of flavor to the strong vegetable, and we washed it all down with the fresh summery cocktail, the mojito. We dined al fresco, of course - the perfect summer meal to celebrate the fennel in different ways on the plate, and leaving our tastebuds satisfied.