Roasted Balsamic Fennel Baguette Bites

Happy Holiday Week! Hoping you had a wonderful 4th spent with friends and family! I got a patriotic workout in the morning, grilled with friends in the afternoon and caught the fireworks in Lakewood at night! I had the fennel bulb left from last weeks box, and I used it to make these crostini bites.

I don't know about you, but fennel is always a little intimidating to me. From it's furry hair like top, to the aggressive licorice flavor, I always wonder how to tame the beast. I find roasting the fennel after it's been thinly sliced is my favorite way to eat it! The fennel almost caramelizes and becomes sweet and soft. Pairing it with balsamic vinegar makes it doubly sweet and savory! I think you'll love this baguette topping, and it'll have you craving fennel all summer long! Make sure you don't throw the fronds (hair) away!! It's a perfect herb garnish for these crostini, great in potato salad, or perfect blended into pesto! Roasted Balsamic Fennel Baguette Bites Serves 4-6 Ingredients: 1 Perfectly Imperfect fennel bulb, sliced thinly, saving 1-2 tablespoons of the fronds for garnish 1 baguette, sliced in 1/2 inch slices 1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced 3 Tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled salt and pepper to taste

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400. Lay slices of baguette on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until toasted. These are your crostini. 2. Mix fennel, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper in a oven proof dish, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until fennel is soft and balsamic has thickened into a sauce. 3. Spoon roasted fennel mixture over slices of baguette and sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, and adding the fennel fronds on the top of each bite. 4. Serve as an appetizer, or as a main entree with a large salad on the side.

We hope you love this quick recipe and that you'll give fennel a try! Happy holiday week, and we can't wait to get back to you next week with box orders! As always, you can find us on Instagram, @perfectlyimperfectproduce! We share weekly recipes and feature your foodie pictures, too! See you soon!