Sprinkle the salt over raw or steamed vegetables, combine with salad oil for an original dressing, and add a pinch to boiling water to infuse with couscous, or create your own herbal marinade. Fennel is used prominently in Mediterranean cuisine on salads, pastas, vegetable dishes and risottos. Fennel seed is a common ingredient in Italian sausages and meatballs and northern European rye breads.