03 Aug Roasted Fennel with Lavender & Honey Marinade
We presented this recipe as a great marinade for chicken or meat, but it’s equally delicious on roasted vegetables, especially fennel, which has a crisp brightness. The sweetness of the honey and balsamic vinegar bring out the aroma of the lavender, and create a lovely brown glaze.
Makes about 1 cup of marinade
Ingredients
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon lavender
½ cup honey
1 ½ teaspoons marjoram
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, minced
¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar
Vegetables suitable for grilling or roasting: Fennel, red peppers, corn, potatoes, or other root vegetables
Equipment
Non reactive mixing bowl
Pastry brush
Roasting pan
Preparation
Combine all marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and stir thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 350° F or prepare an outdoor grill. If using fennel, trim the fronds and shave off the bottom of the root end. Slice into wedges, but leave the root intact in the bottom of each piece to keep them together. If using other vegetables, cut into large pieces. If oven roasting, you may marinate the pieces in advance. Place in a roasting pan at roast for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, baste the vegetables with the lavender honey marinade every 5 minutes or so for an additional 20 minutes or until completely cooked.
[Chef’s Note: If you are roasting in the oven, feel free to marinade the veggies before hand. If grilling over flame or charcoal, do not marinate, but rather drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil, and grill, basting the vegetables near the end of cooking so as not to burn the marinade.]
Recipe and photo by Mark Tafoya