Pesty fennel seeds

I was sitting at the computer, answering some e-mails, when I caught the sweet licorice smell of fennel seeds. I forgot they were there: three little clusters Glyn picked on a bike ride a few days ago. Native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, fennel is really well established in Northern California. It feels at home here, near the ocean, by the roadside, in vacant plots, and all over the hills above Highway 1. It's considered a pest. A tasty pest, but a pest nonetheless.

I love the crunch of fennel raw in salads, the sweetness it lends when it's baked till golden, and I like it as a layer of taste in vegetable stocks. I like a handful of sugar coated fennel seeds after a spicy meal, and any candies and drinks that remind me of it. But tonight, I'm making a giant salad for dinner, and I'll grind the seeds with other spices for the dressing.