‘I watch cooking change the cook, just as it transforms the food’
This is from ‘what goes with what’ a great and very easy recipe book. I made this recipe for the Rye Library Book Club. Everyone who made a recipe said that it was easier than they expected and more flavourful. I completely underestimated this recipe and recipe book as everything looked so simple.
Taste and ease are essential and so ironically it ended up being one of the favourite books of the year so far. As always, I picked a vegetarian, gluten free dish. You can thin the dish down to make a soup or keep it as a stew. Or as we enter summer, compliment it with your grilled food. Mr B happily ate it just as it was, Baby B with a little pastina.
Ingredients:
- 1 large head of fennel
- ¼ cup EVOO
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 15oz can white bean, or cooked fresh
- 1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- ½ cup vegetable broth
Method
- Cut the fronds off the fennel and keep to the side as a garnish
- Thinly slice the stalks, disregarding any hard parts
- Place the oil in a large heavy-set pot, heat over a medium-low heat, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth with a large pinch of salt (c.1/2 tsp).
- Turn the heat to high and bring to the boil
- Mix and bring to the simmer for c. 20minutes or until the fennel is soft
- Taste and add more salt if needed
- Add pepper and/or chilli flakes if you’d like
- Serve with garlic bread (GF), polenta or rice/pasta
