What's cooking: Pork tenderloin with sauteed onion and fennel and fennel cream

One of the best things about getting a weekly produce box is the challenge to use what's in the box, regardless of whether it's something you might buy left to your own devices. This week's box, which arrived yesterday, contained some late winter standards, green garlic and leeks, but also something signifying a turn in season: baby fennel. Fennel is a taste I've reluctantly acquired. I hate licorice but admit that fennel can be good braised in white wine and butter. This dish, from Bon Appetit and listed on Epicurious pairs it nicely with pork, layering the fresh fennel with roasted fennel seed.

I used green garlic instead of regular garlic and leeks instead of onion. And I roasted the pork for longer than the five minutes recommended. I don't care what anyone says, I do not like to see any pink in my pork.

I teamed this with garlic goat cheese mashed potatoes and roasted zucchini.

We're leaving tomorrow afternoon to head up to Tahoe for a little skiing (Sunday and Monday). Sophie asked "Will there be powder, Mama?" No, probably not. The days have been into the 50s, with the nights back below freezing, so anything off piste will be like skiing over an ice cube field in the morning, turning to glue-like slush in the afternoon. Spring skiing, you know.

If I don't get back to post about the carnitas roasting in my oven overnight, have a good weekend!