I have some fennel plants growing in my path, the bushy herb sort. They look quite sculptural and seed themselves around easily. I like the aniseed flavour but find the leaves a bit stringy. I save the seeds each year as a spice/condiment. They are good in home made bread, spaghetti sauces and soups and curries.
But I've discovered that early in the year the thick stalks aren't fibrous and can be cut and chopped up into salads like an aniseed flavoured celery. It saves buying Florence fennel bulbs from the greengrocers. Certainly they are still tender up to late May because I cut some this afternoon to go into a salad with watercress, sorrel leaves, olives, spring onions, gherkins and tomatoes. A salad with punch.
Later in the year they get stringy.
