Fear fennel no more. Here’s how its subtle sweetness can win you

This recipe ranks among Elise Bauer’s fennel favorites on her website, SimplyRecipes.com, which also features a video on how to wrap fish in parchment for baking. Dry white wine may be substituted for the lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay down a square of parchment paper or foil on a flat surface. Fold the parchment in half to create a crease, then open it up again.

Below the crease of the parchment paper, place several slices of fennel bulb in a mound, and sprinkle with salt. Place one fillet of salmon on top of the fennel bulb slices. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salmon (anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon, or to taste). Sprinkle the salmon generously with salt and pepper.

Lay sprigs of fennel fronds over the salmon. Lay 3 thin slices of lemon over the fennel fronds and salmon (more if you want). Dot the top with butter.

Fold the parchment over the salmon and secure close. There are several ways that you can accomplish this. One easy and particularly attractive way is to fold a corner near the folded edge of the parchment paper into a triangle. Then about halfway down that triangle, fold another triangle over the previous triangle.

Working down and around the parchment edges, you can create folds all around the edges. When you come to the last folded edge, tuck the corner under the parchment.

Place on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Serve immediately. To serve, you can either carefully transfer each salmon fillet and mound of fennel slices to individual plates, or you can serve the salmon in the pouch itself, on a plate.

To eat, you can either unwrap the pouch, or cut through the top with a sharp knife to expose the salmon inside.

Roasting mellows the licorice-like flavors of fennel, which becomes the centerpiece of this winter salad. Blanching softens and takes the bite out of the lemon slices; they add a wonderful chewy tartness. You’ll need three rimmed baking sheets.

Make ahead: The roasted fennel and lemons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before assembling the salad. The turmeric walnuts can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks; they make a great snack or accompaniment to cheeses or other salads.

Adapted by the Washington Post from “The Yoga Kitchen,” by Kimberly Parsons (Quadrille).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the honey, crushed red pepper flakes, turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl to form a thick paste, adding a splash of water, as needed, to help loosen it. Stir in the walnuts until well coated, then spread them out one of the lined baking sheets. Roast until bronzed and crunchy but still a little sticky, 15 minutes. Let cool. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Cut the lemons in half lengthwise. Remove as many of the seeds as you can, then cut the halves crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Remove the stems and fronds from the fennel bulbs, trim the bulbs, then cut each bulb into 8 wedges (without removing the cores). Reserve some fronds for garnish, if desired.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat, then add the lemon slices and boil (blanch) for 2 minutes. Drain well, then combine the lemon slices and the fennel wedges in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, tossing gently to incorporate.

Divide the mixture between the remaining two baking sheets, spreading it evenly. Roast until the lemons have dried out and started to brown on the edges and the fennel is just cooked through (but not mushy), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool. Return the roasted fennel and lemons to the same large bowl, scraping in any pan juices, too, then add the spinach and tarragon and toss to incorporate. Drizzle in another 1 tablespoon of the oil and toss to distribute.

Divide the mixture among individual plates. Scatter the turmeric walnuts on the salads. Drizzle with a little more oil and sherry vinegar, and finish with the flaky salt. Garnish with fennel fronds, if you’d like.

Diane Morgan, author of “Roots” (Chronicle Books), suggests serving this at a barbecue, at brunch with cured salmon or alongside country pate. Use a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife to cut beets into matchsticks. Use disposable surgical gloves, or you’ll end up with red hands.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, orange zest, honey, salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss together beet, fennel, apple and parsley. Add dressing. Mix gently to coat ingredients evenly. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Slaw can be made up to 8 hours in advance. Presentation note: If you don’t serve immediately and want to prevent the beets from tinting the fennel, keep beets separate (dressed with half the dressing) and mix in right before serving.

A savory side dish for roasted chicken, pork or fish. Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place fennel bulbs in a medium saucepan and just cover with water. Bring water to a boil, then continue to boil bulbs 15 minutes or until tender. Drain fennel, cut side down, on paper towels, for a few minutes.

Place bulbs, cut side up, in a buttered 8-inch baking dish; brush them with the 1 tablespoon softened butter.

Season to taste with the salt and pepper, then top with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and the thyme sprigs.

Bake until the cheese is golden, about 20 minutes.

An assortment of multicolored oranges can be quite beautiful, though for this salad it is fine to use just one kind, with blood orange as the classic example. Arrange citrus slices on a large platter. Add thinly sliced fennel, celery and red onion for a tasty bit of crunch. Surround it with sturdy winter salad leaves, like escarole, if you like, or choose sharp arugula or watercress sprigs. It will still be great with no greens at all. Dress it assertively with fruity olive oil and tangy wine vinegar, and scatter briny olives and flaky sea salt before serving.

A harmonious combination of sweet and salty is what you’re going for. To take it up a notch, add some chopped anchovy or capers and a pinch of hot crushed red pepper, or some shavings of salty aged pecorino cheese.

Recipe from the New York Times.

Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. It should be tart but not over-vinegary. Taste and add a little more olive oil if necessary.

To peel the citrus fruit, use a small serrated knife. First, cut off a thin slice of peel from the top and bottom of the orange, so it can sit flat and securely on the cutting board. Use a sawing motion to take off the peel, cutting from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Remove only the peel and white pith, not the flesh of the orange. It should now be perfectly spherical and naked. Peel remaining oranges and grapefruit in this fashion.

Carefully slice peeled citrus crosswise. Arrange slices on a large serving platter in a random pattern, letting them overlap a bit here and there. Scatter onion, fennel and celery over top. Dot the surface with olives. Surround with salad leaves, if using.

Whisk vinaigrette, and spoon evenly over the salad. Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt and serve.

Recipe from the Los Angeles Times.

Trim the feathery fronds and stems from the fennel bulbs. Chop 1 tablespoon of the fronds and reserve. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise and remove the cores. Thinly slice on a mandoline.

Peel the onions, then very thinly slice on a mandoline.

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2 -quart sauce pot and sauté the fennel, onions and sugar over high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are very tender and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

Add the wine and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the vegetable stock and salt. Cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.

Add the Armagnac, if using, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved chopped fennel fronds. Season to taste with salt.

Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Rub each slice with the cut garlic clove, then turn and brown the other side, about 20 seconds. Serve the soup with the garlic toasts on the side.