Seasonal Sinning

It has been a week of homemade meals and quiet evenings. The kitchen has been dirtied and tidied up every evening. Our plates have been filled and emptied, as if I was cooking to make up for lost time last week. In a way, I was having kitchen withdrawals. So, the stove kept burning and occasionally the oven, too, despite the sun’s indefatigable shine. The cutting boards ended up being dirty, almost all three of them at the same time; the vegetables on the counter lessened every day, until today, when I finally went back to the farmers’ market. Glorious produce!

New watermelon, beautiful Tyler peaches, tomatoes, and summer squash. Sweet Texas onions along with spirited sweet little peppers. I also discovered that the vendor where I usually buy the fresh flowers also sells Veldhuizen, Texas-made cheeses. The Gouda was rich and exquisite; the jalapeno cheddar had the right amount of spiciness, and the caraway seed cheddar was scrumptious. I will be going back every week for more. In the meanwhile the cheeses I bought are my hourly delicious snacks. Yum!

This past week I had decided to use up every ingredient in the pantry, counter, refrigerator before going to the grocery store and until market day. Pride is mine. Aside from a few essentials such as: cilantro, parsley, milk, etc. I only used what I had on hand. I am a domestic goddess, Nigella, no doubt about that (insert winking smiley face here).

One of the best meals this week was a pork roast with apples that needed to be used. I usually don’t like to eat apples in the summer. Aside from the tastelessness of apples in the summer, I believe that I have an internal seasonal vegetable/fruit clock, which has been constructed and set in motion from my parents, who, truth be told, had no choice but to feed us seasonally. When summer comes I crave watermelon, peaches, eggplants, pears, figs, peppers, and plums; in the fall it’s time for oranges, apples, and lemons; in the winter I love hot soups of limited ingredients ladled over cheese or hard bread, and in the spring I love the green lettuce, herbs, berries, and early vegetables. If my parents were clockmakers, they set my internal culinary clock to seasonal ingredients, and for that I am thankful.



Back to the roast. I love pork roast. It is tender, flavorful, and so very easy to prepare. I often make it when we have company because it is elegant and it can be dressed up with sauces, salsas, and rubs. This time I used sautéed apples and a rub made with a current favorite spice: fennel pollen. Extracted from the wild fennel flower, it has hints of fennel aroma, mild curry, and a field full of flowers. The rub is easy to make and it makes use of both fennel seeds and fennel pollen. Flavorful and delicious, it was a meal that will become a family classic.



Fennel Pork Roast with Butter and Cilantro Apples

Ingredients:

4 lb boneless pork loin roast

For the fennel rub:

3 teaspoons fennel pollen
3 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Butter Cilantro Apples*:

5 apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
½ cup of chopped cilantro
Pinch of salt

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 350 F.
-Mix the rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl and rub all over the pork loin
-Spray a rimmed baking dish with non-stick spray or spread canola or vegetable oil with your hands.
-Place the loin in the baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the loin reads 150 F.
-Let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing the roast so that the juices have time to be reabsorbed into the meat.

For the Apples:

-While the meat is roasting, peel and thinly slice the apples into rounds or half-moons.
-Melt the butter in a sautéing pan over medium high heat, and when it starts to bubble, add the apple slices one layer at a time. Sautee until golden brown on both sides. If between batches you need to add a little bit more butter, you may do so.
-After all the apples have browned, return all of them into the pan add the lemon juice and zest, the cilantro and salt. Stir quickly to combine and remove from heat.
-Serve on top of the fennel pork roast.

Ju bëftë mirë!
-E.

*I had Gala on hand, but if you use Granny Smith, which are a lot more sour than Gala, cut down on the amount of lemon juice.