Kitchen Garden Cook

Melanie Johnson’s combination of fennel with cod has a distinctly Japanese flavour

Fennel-slaw dogs (below)

Combine 250ml of Greek yoghurt, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and a little salt in a blender, then trickle in 50ml of olive oil. Finely slice a quarter of a spring green cabbage, 1 large bulb of fennel and a sweet apple, then mix together with a few spoonfuls of the dressing. Serve the slaw heaped on hotdogs.

Fennel-and-sausage ragu tagliatelle

Remove the skins from 400g of high-quality sausages. In a large pan, fry a couple of finely sliced red onions, 1 fennel bulb and the sausagemeat. Sprinkle with seasoning, freshly chopped basil and oregano. Pour a glass of red wine over them, then simmer to reduce before adding a tin of chopped tomatoes and a handful of fresh, chopped ones. Reduce everything down with a splash of balsamic vinegar for sweetness, stirring well. Cook pasta until al dente and stir through the sauce. Serve topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Fennel gratin with Parmesan

Cut a few fennel bulbs into wedges and arrange them in an ovenproof dish. Season well, then scrunch up slices of Parma ham and nestle them between the wedges. Mix double cream and crushed garlic in a jug and pour it over the fennel, to just cover. Grate Parmesan over the top and bake for about 25 minutes in a moderate oven.