Try some fine fennel this fall

Fennel is one of the great autumn vegetables, versatile and packed with flavor. Thin slices are great in salads; thick slices roast perfectly. Fennel fronds are a substitute for dill, and we'll find fennel seeds in mixes as varied as herbes de Provence, Indian curry powder, and five spice powder used in many Cantonese dishes.

K.T.M. likes to use his own fennel crop for the recipes that follow. Pancetta works well for the bacon, and we can substitute a half-and-half/milk mix for the 3 1/2 cups milk in this first recipe.

K. admits that cutting two pounds of potatoes into thin slices is a tedious and time-consuming task. However, it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, we'll have to cook the dish longer to make sure the potatoes are tender, and, meanwhile, we will have cooked everything else to overdone.

Potatoes and fennel au gratin Serves 4-6

3/4 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 1/2 cups milk, more if needed

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 pounds potatoes, very thinly sliced

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and diced

6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and starting to bubble. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with white pepper, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until smooth, working in 2-3 batches. Set aside.

Place 1/3 of the potato slices in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the fennel, 1/3 of the cooked and crumbled bacon and 1/3 of the basil. Pour about 1/3 of the cheese sauce over everything. Repeat layers two more times or until you run out of room. Cover the dish with foil....