As the resolutions and dreams mound into a beginning today, it feels good to already have something accomplished. A harvest, and its only the first day of the year! I went out to prune the raspberry canes (check) and stayed in my garden a bit longer to pick a few stalks of fennel. The new plants are already several inches high and bright green--it seemed a shame to leave the wilted and grey stalks of last summer among them. I only saved a few heads, because (in spite of its delicious aroma and endless cooking possibilities) I don't often use fennel in the kitchen. But every now and then it comes in handy (thinking of Lemony-Fennel Loaves from the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, and my sister-in-law's deep dish lasagna) so I snipped a few heads from the pile, brought them in and ended up with a few tablespoons of seeds.
