On a cold night, nothing is a better accompaniment to the main dish than a roasted vegetable.  And a vegetable that makes frequent appearances on our plates in the wintertime is fennel.  Roasting softens the anise flavor of the fennel, and brings out a rich, buttery taste that makes this crunchy, fresh-tasting vegetable into a comfort food.  This is wonderful with any meat or as part of a vegetarian meal.

Roasted Fennel

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position one of the racks in the lower third of the oven.

Wash and trim the fennel bulbs, (you can save the stalks and fronds for soup…) and slice the bulbs in half and then again into slices.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place the fennel slices on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil.  Turn the slices to lightly coat them with the oil.  Sprinkle the slices with the salt and the pepper.  Place on the lower rack in the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until they are beginning to lightly caramelize on the bottom.   Turn the slices and cook for another 15 minutes to caramelize the other side.  Serve immediately or it can stand for 10 minutes or so while you get the rest of dinner ready.