what to do with fennel?

Grew some this year as a companion plant to keep whitefly off the brassicas with little success.
As i like aniseed type flavours any suggestions on freezing, storing, cooking etc very much appreciated.

Oh man, love that fennel.    I eat it cut very thin(and sometimes quickly blanched if flavour is very strong) in salads; boiled 2 mins, drained and sloshed with good quality NZ extra virgin olive oil with a sprinkle of sea salt; 3 or 4 bulbs browned quite hot for 8 mins then braised v e r y slowly in a little water (watch the water and add more if necessary) for 30 mins; in tagines where its added 30 mins before serving.

Best salads would have to be with avocado and orange, or with pear, fennel and avocado with fresh grinds of black pepper.  there's something about that aniseed/sweet/oily combination!

Also I put fennel seeds in home-made chai tea along with angelica seed and other goodies.

I also make spanakopita with all sorts of garden greens (silver beet, fennel tops, NZ spinach, handfull of oregano, broad bean tops etc etc) which is so much more interesting than the usual spinach/feta/egg combination, and easy to make from a garden that has a bit of everything

I plant fennel in spring in rich soil, eat the ones that grow fat and let the ones that bolt go to seed:  when seed matures I harvest the seed, cut the plant to the ground and add blood & bone and compost:  because fennel is a perennial, this richness then furnishes the plant to produce crops of small bulbs all winter (mild winter!) so a patch 2m by 2m gives feast after feast.  I also sow in early autumn and the plants grow slowly all winter to make huge fat bulbs in spring, for just when the overwintered plants are petering out. 

Wouldn't be without it!

=Pip

Braised fennel and white fish is a match made in heaven.