I don’t know if you are like me, but I love any and all kinds of vegetables! Their color, texture and shape, and fragrance; some only aromatic when cooked, are beautiful! Fennel is so perfumed and particularly strong with an Anise flavor that I love. Excellent just with a vinaigrette or braized. But, I opted to make it in a Tart, which seemed perfect for this season and ready to go for Fiesta Friday.
Thanks to our favorite host Angie from The Novice Gardener, and thanks to our co-host’s this week Julie @ Hostess At Heart and Liz @ spades, spatulas & spoons !
Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients: (for the crust/pâte brisée)
- 300g of plain flour/all purpose flour
- 125g of soft butter
- A pinch of salt
- 1 medium egg
- 25ml of water
Procedure: (easy)
- In a large bowl add the flour and the salt.
- Add the soft butter.
- Mix with your fingers and add 1 egg.
- Pour the water.
- Keeping mixing until you assemble the dough.
- Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Grease a tart pan (a round shape for me).
- Roll your dough between two big sheet’s of parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- With a rolling pin, flatten the dough the size of your tart pan.
- Peel off the parchment paper from one side or your plastic wrap, flip the dough over the tart plate and slowly remove the other parchment paper or your plastic wrap and set aside.
- With a fork, poke the bottom of your dough and set aside.
Ingredients: (For the filling)
- 4 medium fennel bulbs
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 250ml of whipping cream
- 1 egg
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of black pepper
- 50g of grated Emmental cheese
Final Procedure:
- Preheat the oven to 180C degrees.
- Cut off the stalks and fronds of the fennel bulbs (you can make a delicious salad with them).
- Cut the end of the bulb then cut the fennel bulb in half.
- Remove the core (the hard center of the fennel bulb) and finally slice lengthwise.
- In a large pan, add the olive oil and cook over a medium heat the fennel with a pinch of salt and black pepper, until it turns golden brown color.
- When the color is perfect, remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a bowl add the whipping cream, the eggs, the salt and the black pepper.
- Whisk gently.
- Spread the Emmental cheese into the bottom of the tart.
- Layer the sliced fennel on the top of the cheese and slowly pour the mixture on the top of the tart.
- Bake for 45 minutes (more or less depending on the oven).
- Remove from the oven when the crust is golden.
- Serve hot with a salad on the side.
The tart has a sweet taste and is very flavorful with just a hint of the Emmental cheese.
Bon Appétit!
Petite Panière 
Bon appetit indeed! Looks delicious!
Merci beaucoup Cher! 🙂
I love most veggies Linda and especially like the taste of fennel with its anise flavor. Good pairing with Emmental cheese even though I frequently seem to use Gruyere 🙂
Thank you very much Judi. Usually I work with Gruyere too but I have a very small piece of Emmental waiting to be used 😉 Less strong than Gruyere but it was a very nice in texture. Have a nice week! 🙂
Beautiful tart Linda!! This tart really sounds delicious, the cheese and fennel are such a lovely combination.
Thank you so much, Suzanne. I’m so glad you like it! 🙂
Ahhhhh I love fennel in any form, and this tart looks so very tasty. I need to get some soon to make it! I think it will go great with my fennel-radicchio slaw. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Thank you so much Ronit for your comment. The tart was very nice and I would love to see your version with fennel-radicchio! 🙂
The slaw is a simple salad I love preparing for roasted lamb chops, but now I think it could be great with your tart, which I hope to make next week. Here is the link:
https://ronitpenso.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/citrus-fennel-and-radicchio-slaw-with-pan-roasted-lamb-chops/
This looks delicious, creamy center and crisp crust. I also love fennel, to me it tastes faintly like artichokes. Strangely I love fennel, not so much dill or tarragon. Thanks for bringing this to FF.
Thank you very much Liz for your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for co-hosting this week FF! 🙂
Absolutely beautiful and sounds amazing!!
Thank you so much Anna. Have a nice week! 🙂
I adore fennel…what a delicious looking tart 🙂 Yummy!
Thank you so much Marisa. The tart was very good! 🙂
I adore vegetables too Judi, and if it wasn’t for John, I would probably eat as many vegetarian meals and meat. We both adore fennel, and know this would be a great dish we would both enjoy! Your photos are gorgeous of this tart!
I just called you Judi! I’m so sorry Linda! Maybe more than one glass of wine involved?
Julie, you’re funny. I love the last sentence 😀 Thank you very much and I hope you will try this tart. Thank you for co-hosting this week FF and have a nice week! 🙂
looks yummy!
Thanks a lot Ghetran! 🙂
As perfect as ever 🙂 x
You’re so kind Elaine and thank you very much! 🙂 xx
Maybe it’s time for me to try roasting some fennel…?
I’m sure you will like it 😉
I think so too! I’ve had it raw before but not roasted x
I can’t wait to try this– fennel is one of my faves, but have never had it in a Tart!
Thank you so much, Laura. Do let me know how it turns out! 🙂
This is so aromatic !! Delicious !
Thank you very much. It was. Have a nice week! 🙂
I love fennels! And most veggies. I think 🙂 Even when I don’t like a vegetable, I would still eat it. As long as it’s not overly bitter. But I don’t need encouragement to eat fennels. I grew them a few years ago but they came out scrawny, more like leaf fennels. I would still chew the stems 🙂 What you did here is amazing, Linda! This is so fabulous!
Thank you so much, Angie. You’re so lucky you can grow your own vegetables (my dream). Actually I have only herbs, the climate is so hard. Every year is a big challenge…I’m sure you will like this tart! 🙂
This looks so wonderful Linda! I adore fennel and can just imagine how delicious it would be in this tart. Yum!
Thank you Margot. It was so good, we really enjoyed the lunch. Bonne journée! 🙂
Linda, this tart looks soooooo good! and I love fennel! YUM! 🙂
Thank you so much Mila. Trust me, the tart was sooo yummy! 😀
beautiful tart, I love fennel, wonderful!
Thank you very much, Poli. It was a simple and delicious lunch! 🙂
lovely tart yumm
Yes, very yummy ! 🙂
Look gorgeous!
This fennel tart is so gorgeous and delectable. I like fennel and had it only in salads. Thank you for the recipe. I really like to bake one. Yum!
Thank you so so much Fae. I use fennel in salads, in croquettes and sometimes just braised on the BBQ. Very versatile vegetable and so flavorful too! 🙂