Savory Pork Chops with Fennel

In Wisconsin, we tend to think that “invasive species” refers mainly to zebra mussels, Eurasian milfoil and Canada thistle. In California the list might well end with fennel. Driving in California, you will see miles of shrubs that look a bit like dill along the highways. Those bushes are actually fennel, a plant native to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It has been used by doctors and cooks for thousands of years and was probably brought to California by the people who also brought wine grapes to the state.

Fennel seeds stick to clothing, wagon wheels, car tires, bird feathers and animal hair, and soon feral fennel was thriving. With much of the state enjoying a Mediterranean climate, California seemed like a beautiful new home to the new immigrant families from places like Italy, Spain and Greece. Fennel also found it the ideal place to “be fruitful and multiply.” Today, fennel is a major pest in the Golden State, but it is also one of my favorite herbs.

Fennel has the same flavor as anise, but it has a milder or softer effect in recipes. It is cultivated today around the world. The bulbs, leaves and seeds are all used in cooking. I have tried a couple of recipes with fennel bulbs, but we depend mainly on the seeds.

Jerri and I use them in making marinara and spaghetti sauces and include them in a spice mixture we make for commercial pizzas that we “doll up” with extras like tomatoes, green peppers, onions and mushrooms.

If you like mild Italian sausage, you will enjoy the flavor of these pork chops. They are quick and easy to cook but make a delicious main dish for an elegant dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

4 pork chops, each about 3/4 inch thick
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fennel seed
2 T olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine

PROCEDURE:

Crush the fennel seed with a mortar and pestle and mix with the flour, salt and pepper. Peel and mince the garlic. Put the olive oil in a frying pan over moderate heat.

Dredge the chops in the seasoned flour and fry them until they are a dark golden brown. Sprinkle the minced garlic on them and add the wine. Cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

If the sauce is too thin, raise the heat to moderate and remove the cover for the last few minutes to thicken it.

Serve with a glass of the wine, a salad, bread and rice or pasta.

NOTES: Couscous pilaf goes well with these chops as does a steamed vegetable such as carrots or green beans.

Mexican Rice

When the Hayward School District was consolidated, I was exposed to cafeteria food served in the high school gymnasium. Compared to the home-cooked meals Winifred Larson used to make for us in the basement of Blair School, the offerings scooped onto our plates in Hayward were not even second rate.

For the most part I have suppressed the memories of those lunches. I do recall an embarrassing episode involving a banana. Instead of jello or fruit cocktail, one warm spring day we had bananas for dessert. I liked bananas but wanted to get outside for a softball game, so I put the banana in my pocket.

It was not a wise move as I discovered when I slid on my front trying to stop a ground ball. I emptied my pocket and washed most of the mess out of my pants, but the girls giggled when I came into the classroom with a very noticeable wet spot on my jeans. Since then I don’t put even a stick of gum in a pants pocket.

Another lasting memory is the Spanish rice that was served every week. It was made with bacon and some vegetables and was even worse than the greasy “hamburger hot dish” which was also served weekly. My memory may be faulty. It’s possible that these dishes were served less frequently, but once a year would have been more than enough.

This recipe for Mexican rice has no meat or vegetables except for a little onion and tomato sauce. It goes well with Cheese & Bean Burritos or enchiladas. We think that toasting the rice in the oil and heating the garlic and cumin with it results in a delicious flavor. The rice ends up light and fluffy and not at all gummy.

INGREDIENTS:

3 T vegetable oil
1 cup long grain white rice
1 tsp. garlic salt or 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

PROCEDURE:

Peel and chop the onion medium fine. Have ready the tomato sauce and broth.

Heat the oil in a 1 1/2 or 2 quart saucepan over moderate heat. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with oil. After the rice has been cooking in the oil for two or three minutes, stir in the cumin and garlic salt (or salt and garlic powder). Stir continuously until the rice grains turn golden brown. This will take five or six minutes.

When the rice has browned, stir in the onion and cook for a minute or two until the onion is translucent. Stir in the broth and tomato sauce, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the broth has been absorbed by the rice. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.