Fennel is one of those elusive and strange vegetables that rarely makes its way into the home cook's repertoire. First off, the fronds. What do you do with them? And then the bulb. How do you slice it? Then, the flavor hits with a subtle but decidedly anise-y kick...which many people find rather off-putting. <br />But fennel is easily tamed and tempered by lemon juice, giving the vegetable's almost monotone sweetness some bite. Toasted almonds and golden raisins round out the flavor profile, and frisée gives this salad its bulk and a great deal of texture. Altogether, a salad entirely worth coming back to time and again as fennel season wears on. <br />This recipe was inspired by one of Heidi Swanson's, where she marinates the fennel in lemon juice to soften and tame it. Here, I've used celery for added crunch, frisée instead of her arugula, golden raisins for a bit of sweetness, and Parmesan for a sophisticated salty tang.

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