Serves 6

Refreshing, crisp fennel tastes faintly of anisette; this recipe is the most wonderful way to enjoy the delicate flavor of this pastel green aromatic bulb. Pecorino Pepato is a sharp, aged sheep's milk cheese from Spain embedded with peppercorns; shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler, allowing the peppercorns to fall where they may, as long as it's over the thinly sliced fennel. You may use Parmesan or Romano cheese if you prefer.

·         2 fennel bulbs, leaf ends trimmed, very thinly sliced

·         2 TB extra virgin olive oil

·         1 TB balsamic vinegar

·         1/2 cup shaved Pecorino Pepato cheese

·         freshly ground pepper from a mill

Arrange the fennel on a platter, stacking it in a pile. Drizzle over the olive oil and vinegar. Scatter the cheese and freshly ground pepper from the mill over the mounds of fennel. Enjoy!