Savory, Crunchy or Sweet: Cabbage and Fennel Pairings

Cabbage, Fennel & Pork Chop Casserole Alsatian Style

* Asian Cabbage & Fennel Slaw*

Warm Cabbage, Fennel & Pear Salad with Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnuts

Cooking cabbage dishes such as corned beef and cabbage or cabbage with pork and potatoes were recipes learned from my mother, whose name is mentioned each time I cook one of these recipes… stuffed cabbage is another story. However, after living in Switzerland for a few years and traveling through the Alsace-Lorraine region to visit good friends in Strasbourg, there are new associations for cabbage recipes. Driving past field after field of cabbages was an unexpected part of the journey that required my French friends to help me make the connection to an area renowned for the best sauerkraut and classic cabbage, pork, sausage & potato dishes. I decided to try a cabbage and fennel combination and believe they complement each other, both hot and cold.

Cabbage, Fennel & Pork Chop Casserole Alsatian Style

An amazing woman and beloved friend, Soeurette, was the inspiration for the addition of juniper berries to this recipe. Apparently, she always used juniper berries as a standard ingredient in this dish and as a native of the Alsatian region and a force to be reckoned with, I am a believer.

Recipe:

Asian Cabbage & Fennel Slaw

Of the three dishes, this is the one that required the most tweaking. You know how it goes…more ginger, less ginger…adjust the mayo…add less honey…and so on. The original recipe called for the basil to be blended as part of the marinade, but I did not like the taste, nor the green-colored dressing, and prefer the flavor as an ingredient with the cabbage & fennel. By the last batch, I needed a break from cabbage consumption and left it in the refrigerator for a day or two. I was pleased to discover that it continued to be tasty, crunchy and not at all soggy.

Recipe: