Recently, I purchased several bulbs of fennel. I used them in sardine and fennel salad, eaten raw with salt, and in fennel salad with creamy dressing.
Having a couple of bulbs left, I wanted to make a relish of sorts to bring to a BBQ. Looking in the pantry, I found my inspiration, a small jar of Mostarda, (a type of traditional fruit preserve used as a condiment in Italy) Mostarda contains one or more varieties of fruit, either whole or cut into pieces. The fruit is cooked with simple syrup, honey, or grape must, and flavored with mustard oil or powdered mustard seed. It pairs nicely with boiled meats, roast ham and cheeses.
In my attempt to come up with a different type of mostarda (Italian for mustard), I decided to use the fennel and two kinds of vinegar (white wine and white balsamic) and two mustards (dry ground mustard and a whole grain mustard). The balsamic adds a kiss of sweetness and the mustards provide a pleasant kick to this condiment.
This chunky, fresh fennel, atypical mostarda is easy to make and a great addition to your summer menu. As it turns out, it was terrific on various kinds of grilled sausages and hot dogs and grilled veggie panini.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Cups chopped fennel
- 1/2 Cup white wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
- Salt to taste
- Using a skillet, sauté the fennel in the oil. Cover and cook over low heat until softened, about 25 minutes. Add the white wine vinegar, cook 15 minutes until fennel is tender. Taste and add salt as necessary.
- Transfer to a food processor, add the white balsamic vinegar, water and dry mustard. Pulse until coarsely chopped to your liking.
- Transfer to a bowl, let cool a bit and then stir in whole grain mustard. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
