Roasted fennel

It had never crossed my mind to buy fresh fennel. I always associated it a strong licorice flavor and was convinced I would not like it. When it became available for our boxes I knew I was going to have to put my pre-conceived notions to the side and do some experimenting. The best people to ask on how to cook something are the farmers who grow it themselves. That is how I found out that roasted fennel and raw fennel taste completely different. After reading countless roasted fennel recipes on Pinterest I decided just to keep it simple. Instead of that strong licorice tasteI was pleasantly surprised roasted fennel has a sweet mild flavor that is not overwhelming at all. Bonus, it is super simple which is always something I appreciate.
Ingredients;

• Fresh fennel
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh chives or green onions
• Reserved fronds chopped

Instructions;

• Preheat oven to 375
• Cut the fronds off of the bulbs and keep to the side. Cut the bulbs in half and the cut the halves into slices.
• Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the sliced fennel bulbs in a single layer in the baking dish. Drizzle more olive oil over the top of the fennel along with salt and pepper. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
• When the fennel is fork tender remove from oven. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top along with the chives or green onions. Roast for an additional 3-5 minutes.
• When done sprinkle some of the fronds over the top.