Roasted Fennel and Red Potatoes

Bismillahir Rahmanir

So far, this summer is proving to be The Summer of Vegetable Experimentation and I couldn't be happier with the results, alhamdulillah. I went a little crazy with some new (well, new for me, at least) produce a couple weeks ago. The newbie in my kitchen this time was..drum roll please... fennel.

I cook often with fennel seed or we chew on the seeds as a digestive aid after meals, but the plant itself is very different from the seed I'm more familiar with. It has almost a licorice taste but becomes quite sweet after roasting.

I cut up a fennel bulb (discard the stalks or save it for some stock) along with some red potatoes and fresh dish. A slight drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste and roast until tender, and voila, a perfect summer side dish! I can't wait to get my hands on some more soon and try some new things, insha'allah. But for now, I wanted to at least any readers out there who may be hesitant to try new or different foods: say Bismillah and go for it!