And a bonus track...

I forgot that I hadn't posted the pork tenderloin with the Dijon thyme marinade over roasted vegetables that I had raved about earlier. I'm officially obsessed with roasted fennel. Or braised fennel. Or fennel mixed inside of a potato gratin. Mmmm... but that's another recipe for another day. Today I give you, for your holiday enjoyment:

Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel

From Barefoot Contessa Parties

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves minced


• 1 Tbsp kosher salt


• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves


• 1/4 c. Dijon mustard


• 1 3 lb. boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied


• 3 small fennel bulbs, tops removed


• 10 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced diagonally


• 10 small potatoes, quartered


• 2 onions, thickly sliced


• 4 Tbsp. good olive oil


• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted


• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

With a mortar and pestle, or in the bowl of a food processor, grind together the garlic, salt, and thyme leaves. Add the mustard and combine. Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs into thick wedges, slicing through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a bowl with the olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to a large roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the pork to the pan and continue to cook for another 30 to 50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads exactly 138 degrees. Remove the meat from the pan and return the vegetables to the oven to keep cooking. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Then remove the vegetables from the oven.

Remove the strings from the meat and slice it thickly. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Serves 6