Menu Thirteen

Feeling Italian, Part II

Appears in

#96A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes
A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes

By David Tanis

Published 2008

  • About

Peggy, our food-writer friend, and Christopher, an amazing food photographer, came to visit us at a little house we’d rented in Umbria. As soon as they arrived from Paris, we headed straight to the local market as usual, where we wanted to buy everything (always a temptation). Smitten by the bounty of the fall harvest, we wound up with only vegetables and managed a vegetarian menu that was so satisfying.

Florence fennel, bulb fennel, sweet anise, and finocchio are all names for one of my favorite vegetables. With its faintly licorice perfume, it has been popular in the Mediterranean since ancient times. In Italy in the fall, the market stands are piled high with fennel, and autumn is the best time to eat it. We came home with a basketful.