It seems Italy has sparked so many of my ongoing affections for seasonal produce, as once again, it was my time in Tuscany that gave me my first real experience of fennel. And when I say ‘real’ I mean, just picked, super thin shavings of new season fennel, served simply with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt and pepper – that wonderful sweetness and aniseed fragrance had me hooked at the first mouthful. I planted my first fennel seeds as soon as I arrived home that year, already tasting my very own home-grown fennel before it was in the ground!