Florence Fennel / Finocchio
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a member of the parsley family and it has soft, almost dill-like needle leaves. 
It has been cultivated in Europe for over a thousand years for its seed (a popular flavoring for breads, sausages, etc.) and for its bulb, which is used as a vegetable. There are three kinds of fennel: bitter, sweet and florence, according to the Oxford Companion to Food. The latter is bred primarily for its bulb that is used raw in salads and cooked in various dishes. But the leaves can also be used to flavor dishes in the same way dill leaves are used. Fennel is believed to be native to Italy. It has a pleasant anise-like or sweet flavor that is distinctive and delicious. Texture is a bit like celery but softer when sliced very thinly. I personally like it very lightly dressed in salads.
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According to the Oxford Companion to Food authored by Alan Davidson, the Pomelo is an ancestor of the grapefruit and is believed to have originated in the Malay Peninsula or Western Indonesia. From there it migrated westwards and now thrives in several tropical climates around the world. Pomelo is believed to be derived from the Malay word pumpulmas which evolved into the Dutch pompelmoes and truncated by the English into pummelo or pomelo. Sometimes called Shaddock for the sea captain who brought them from Polynesia to the West Indies in the mid-1600’s. Several varieties are now being grown and the pomelos from one country to the other vary tremendously. Indonesia has huge fruits that sometimes have a milder flavor. Thailand likewise has large juicy fruit that is either yellowish or light pink in color. The Philippines tends to have smaller fruit and while I would say at best, erratic quality, the good pomelos here are really good. I like the smaller fruit as long as the texture, color and taste are top notch.
He first worked with another farm that was well known for its lettuces, herbs and other Tagaytay grown vegetables. Today, he manages a stall at the Saturday Salcedo Market and he carries goods from four sources: Organic Vegetables, Isabela Farms, Tagaytay Farms and Mountain Trail. His stall is quite complete and the vegetables always look terrific. A bit on the pricier side, it’s well worth the reliability, selection and quality of his goods. He has the largest vegetable stall in the Salcedo market and many regulars that have come to rely on him for their week’s supply of produce. On a recent weekend, his stall had fantastic tomatoes from Ilocos (vine ripened), small squashes, squash flowers, herbs and large bulbs of Tagaytay grown fennel. He also carries all of the staples such as potatoes, garlic, onions, kangkong, cabbage, etc.
that are increasingly available in farmers and plant markets around the city. Grown from bulbs often imported from Holland, the flowers are large, stunning and impressive. With over 50 varieties globally, some species have adapted to local conditions and thrive in tropical gardens. But the most stunning specimens, in my opinion, are the large and varied colors of the hybrid bulbs brought in from the Netherlands. These bulbs look like humongous onions and are planted in rich potting mediums until the blooms are coaxed out in 6-8 weeks after planting.
There are many different varieties of eggplants (Solanum melongena)and their color ranges from deep purple-black to lighter shades of purple, lavender, green, green and white, and in rare cases orange. They can be long and thin, long and wide, short, skinny, or tiny in bunches but they all taste quite similar when cooked. Here in Manila, we are most accustomed to a medium purple eggplant that is relatively thin; however, we use the American term eggplant because we just do.
The chicken is infused with a tremendous scent and flavor of lemon plus all the great herbs that are massaged into the skin and added to the chicken cavity. The gravy is rich and flavorful. This dish served with some roasted or mashed potatoes with a salad is a very satisfying dinner indeed. Do not be shy with the herbs. Many people put too little fresh herbs and lose out on a potential flavor explosion. I like to do this recipe when I realize just how many herbs I have hanging out in the fridge after another excessive shopping spree at the market. Dried herbs are a mediocre alternative and if you use them, remember that their flavor is much more concentrated than fresh herbs. Because the types of herbs differ slightly from time to time, the final flavor of this recipe changes a bit depending on what herbs you have available.
A palate shocker, its spiciness is determined by how much chilli you put and how long it sits before being consumed. Some people make a relatively mild laing then correctly serve a super spicy bicol express to mix into the laing to notch up the heat quotient for chilli addicts. My entry on taro leaves was posted a couple of days ago, before the tragic events in Bohol where dozens of school children were killed after eating fried cassava snacks. It is not yet known exactly what caused the food poisoning but it certainly reminds you to treat some types of food with great care. So, I said it before, and let me say it again - raw taro leaves do contain some poisonous compounds or irritants and they should never be eaten raw.
pungent aroma of one’s urine after eating a plate of asparagus… Hmmm. Asparagus was virtually unheard of in Manila markets in the early 1990’s. The realization that it actually could thrive in certain areas of the Philippines (Bukidnon) and up north somewhere led to a sudden increase in asparagus farming. The harvest is either exported to Japan and other Asian markets or sold to a growing local market. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is native to various areas in Europe. It has been cultivated since at least the first century and was believed to have medicinal properties (possibly due to that odd odor…) and thus the name officinalis which means “of the dispensary”.