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It was during a discussion about herbs on Twitter earlier this year that I learned about collecting and using fennel pollen to flavour food, (there’s a full round up of the herbs discussion and all the other #BritishVeg hour chats here if you’re interested). With my garden pretty much full of self-seeded bronze fennel plants, there was absolutely no reason not to try this new delicacy. So I’ve been waiting for the fennel flowers to open. Turns out I wasn’t the only one waiting… fennel flowers work like magnets for insects. The hoverflies that were missing from the garden earlier in the summer have appeared in their hundreds since the fennel started flowering. Although they aren’t just keeping themselves to the fennel, the the globe thistles and calendula are attracting a fair few of these delicate insects too.
There have been very few ladybirds around this year, but the ones I have seen have been wandering about on the fennel over the last week or so. We could do with a few more ladybirds and hoverflies really… the local aphid population is growing, and some help with getting rid of them would be very welcome.
Pollen beetles love the yellow flowers too – making it very hard to collect fennel flowers without getting a few beetles in the bowl. And the wasps seem to prefer these flowers to pretty much anything else.
After reading Christina’s post about how to dry fennel flowers for using later in the year, I’ve cut a bowlful, carefully removed every last pollen beetle, and left them in a cool place. I’m really looking forward to trying these flowers sprinkled over roast potatoes as Christina suggests. Being greedy though, I couldn’t wait to for the flowers to dry before I started experimenting in the kitchen. The fresh flowers have a lovely sweet, aniseed flavour. We’ve had some sprinkled over goat’s cheese bruschetta (highly recommended), and in a yoghurty dip to accompany filo pastry parcels filled with a creamy mixture of onions and cheese.
I used feta cheese in the parcels – I like the saltiness of the cheese combined with the slow cooked sweetness of the onions. We also tried them filled with onion and Boursin, to cater for the picky eater who doesn’t like feta, and this combination was good too. But it’s the feta version I’m posting a recipe for… allowing me to link this to August’s Cheese Please! where feta is the cheese of the month.
Feta & red onion filo parcels
(Makes 18 triangles)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10g unsalted butter
2 red onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp sugar
fresh leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g feta
50g wild rocket, roughly chopped
6 sheets filo pastry
melted unsalted butter for brushing the pastry
poppy seeds to sprinkle over the pastries (optional)
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sugar and thyme leaves, stir and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the onion is good and soft but not brown. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper (not too much salt, because you’ll be adding the feta which is quite salty too). When the onions are cool, add the feta and chopped rocket leaves and stir to mix everything together.
Preheat the oven to 190oC, 375F, gas 5.
Cut each sheet of filo pastry into three strips lengthways. Working with one strip at a time (keep the rest of the pastry under a damp t-towel to stop it drying out and becoming crispy), brush the pastry with melted butter, put a tablespoonful of the onion and feta filling at one end of the pastry strip and fold it over on itself to make a triangle. Keep folding the triangle over on itself until you reach the end of the pastry strip. Repeat with each pastry strip.
Place the filo parcels on a lined baking sheet, brush with a little more melted butter and sprinkle the tops with poppy seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with a bowl of mint and fennel dip…
Mint & Fennel dip
¼ cup Greek yoghurt
¼ cup soured cream
1 tsp chopped fresh mint leaves
a good pinch of fresh fennel flowers
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Stir together the yoghurt, soured cream, mint leaves and fennel flowers in a bowl. Season to taste.
Interesting use of fennel flowers. I have some that have come up at the allotment, so I will pick some of them to use. Thanks for the tips!
Glad to be of some help! Best to eat the flowers before they turn to seeds that will become hundreds of new plants next year…
Wonderful! I’ve got all the ingredients you need for this, so that’s dinner for tomorrow evening. I also saw Christina’s post, but didn’t get round to harvesting the fennel flowers, and most of them are going over now – still taste great though. I often nibble a little as I walk past them. Thanks for sharing your recipe Sarah! 😀
We had the parcels AND the dip this evening and it was all extremely delicious! Will definitely make these again! 😀
Even if you’ve missed the flowers, all’s not lost. I’ve left plenty of flowers so that I can collect some seeds later in the year… they add a lovely flavour to bread.
Feta is my favorite cheese, these sound delicious. The fennel flowers are just beautiful, lucky you having all that dried fennel flowers to add to recipes.
It’s the first time I’ve tried drying fennel flowers, so I’m hoping it works and there will be some for winter recipes!
Feta and red onion all wrapped up in crispy filo pastry – how tasty! I’ve still to try fennel pollen but I do love both fennel and dill so I’m sure I’d like it! Do you think the dip would work with the sour cream omitted?
The dip should be just fine without sour cream – I quite often make similar dips with just Greek yoghurt and whatever herbs are in season.
Very cool, using the fennel flowers! Pick them at that stage, and I’ll be pulling out fewer rogue seedlings next year 😉 Not sure I’m willing to challenge the wasps for them, though…mine is just as you’ve described yours, a magnet for pollinators.
Thank you, now I feel much better about eating the flowers… it’s weed control, not greed!
Brilliant post! Have tonnes of these plants growing between allotments so I must go and grab some flowers. I love the idea of them with the cheese too.
Thanks Urvashi… for a self-seeding ‘weed’ it does taste pretty good!
Wow, I’ve never heard of using fennel flowers before – it sounds like they taste a bit like dill – is that right? I bet they were delicious, red onions and rocket are always winners with cheese. And gorgeous photos as ever! Thanks for sharing it with the Cheese, Please! Challenge.
They do taste like dill – with quite a delicate and slightly sweet flavour.
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Thanks for the link, I hope you enjoy the dried flowers as much as the fresh ones, I used some fresh ones inside a Sea Bass that I barbequed – worked very well so lots more uses for Fennel flowers!
Up until this year I’ve been thinking that there was too much fennel in the garden, but with all these new ways to use the flowers I think there may be more allowed to grow in future! Thanks for the idea of drying the flowers… I’m looking forward to trying them.
Your feta and onion pockets sound wonderful.
Thank you Karen… we like the filo parcels, they’re easy to make and the filling can be adapted to suit pretty much any taste.
I hope you have lots of lovely flowers until the end of the year and make the most of the good weather.
Thanks Jack, I hope you like eating the flowers… there will be more recipes for you to taste test before the end of the year!
I don’t know how you have managed to photograph the fennel – mine is so tall I would have to get the stepladders out. Never thought of using the flowers and those parcels look very tasty. I really ought to try being more experimental thanks for the inspiration.
My fennel must be a lot shorter than yours Elaine – no ladders involved, and I’m certainly not tall… most of it is growing in a gravel driveway, maybe that limits its height
I made feta and parsley triangles for lunch yesterday – soooo moreish. I’m not sure I can try the fennel flowers though – letting fennel flower is very much frowned upon here as it has weed like tendencies and I’d be sure to miss a flower of two and let it go to seed.
Feta and parsley sounds very good… another combination to try, thanks!
Those parcels look delicious. I love the idea of using fennel flowers more, especially with goats cheese & feta. Have only used them as cake decorations so far this year!
Fennel flowers must add a lovely flavour to cakes – and a good excuse for a bit of baking…
Fennel is one herb I haven’t grown yet. I think i will have to rectify that.
It’s a lovely herb, and great for pollinators – but a very enthusiastic self-seeder, so take care!
Pollen flavoring in cooking. I have to admit that I’d never heard about that before. The things I learn here are so cool.
Michael
Fennel pollen seems to be a new favourite with chefs in posh restaurants… at least that’s what I’m told, they’re not the kind of restaurants I tend to eat in!
These sound delicious Sarah. I can easily make this a meal. 😀
They are super easy to make, and the filling can be adapted according to taste and season… I’m already planning ahead to pumpkin and goat’s cheese in the autumn!
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This is such a great idea and the flavours must work so well together. I have tried both fennel and dill pollen in cooking, having managed to get some to try in cooking and it is a lovely addition. both a little bit of anise, but subtly different. I think it must work particularly well with the fennel here Sarah
Fennel flowers have been a great find here this year – but I’ve not tried dill pollen… maybe next year, but thanks for the idea!
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