Fennel frond, lemon zest, and black pepper cream cheese schmear ~ Ham Pie Sandwiches

02 December 2014

Fennel frond, lemon zest, and black pepper cream cheese schmear

Fennel frond, lemon zest, and black pepper cream cheese schmear

Contrary to a variety of expectations, I did NOT pickle the last two heads of fennel that came our way in the CSA box. Instead, I chopped one up and mixed it with a whole lot of other vegetables to roast for Thanksgiving dinner. So good!

However, that left me with a big handful of fennel fronds. What can you do with fennel fronds?

Fennel frond, lemon zest, and black pepper cream cheese schmear

I refrained from simply cramming them all into the half-empty fennel, ginger, and lemon pickle jar, although that was kind of tempting.

Instead, I thought I'd chop them up and see how well they worked in a cream cheese schmear, along with some lemon zest and black pepper. And lo, they worked SUPER WELL.

If you are into the delicate anisey tang of fennel, you should absolutely give this one a try. The fennel and lemon make a refreshing and zingy combination -- an excellent contrast to the creamy creamy cheesy cheese (*cough* *That's a NSFW Foamy the squirrel reference*).

This makes approximately one laden bagel's worth of schmear. Of course, you can always increase any and all of the ingredients at your leisure.

Fennel frond, lemon zest, and black pepper cream cheese schmear

Fennel frond, lemon zest, and black pepper cream cheese schmear

3-4 tbsp cream cheese/tofu cream cheese
2-3 tbsp fennel fronds
zest of 1 lemon
black pepper to taste
optional milk/yogurt to thin

Finely chop your fennel fronds and lemon zest. Mix all ingredients together well, using a fork to blend thoroughly.

To serve, spread on the bagel, cracker, or other toasty bread product of your choice. I had mine on a couple of leftover whole wheat rolls from Thanksgiving. That worked exceptionally well.

Such a great addition to the schmear library. I am definitely going to make this one again, and not just because there is still yet another head of fennel hiding in the crisper.

More schmears for your bagel-topping delight:
- Spicy salsa and bloody mary schmears
- Red onion and dill schmear
- Fresh corn and basil schmear

What are you eating on your bagels lately?

7 comments:

Michelle said...

I've always wondered what to do with fennel fronds. Question answered! This looks like such a bright, zesty combo.

*noting the NSFW foamy the squirrel for when not at work*

Joanne said...

This is quite a schmear! I usually throw my fennel fronds out, but from now on I'll be flavoring cream cheese with them.

Eileen said...

Yay! Glad you guys like it. And another thing: I had EVEN MORE fennel fronds, so I chopped them up along with some fresh dill and threw them into some cottage cheese for breakfast. Excellent.

Marissa said...

I love fennel fronds - they're so pretty and I love their subtle flavor. This looks like a great way to use them.

I also love to use them when making any kind of fish stock or soup.

Sippity Sup said...

You're schmear happy. Which makes me happy too. GREG

Eileen said...

I am indeed schmear-happy! There may be a homemade schmear selection the next time we have a brunch party, is all I'm saying. (This has only happened once or twice, but it's certainly possible.) I love the fish stock with fennel idea too!

Kate said...

Oh man, love this idea! It's been far too long since I've had cream cheese or fennel, now that I think of it. I'll just have to combine the two on a bagel to make up for lost time!