Napa Cabbage with Fennel, Blood Oranges, Pomegranate Seeds & Almonds

I am officially done complaining about cabbage. Every time I see cabbage on my CSA pick up letter, I cringe. Then I complain. Then I scour the Internet for all things cabbage looking for something I haven’t yet tried, in the hopes that I will fall in love with this cruciferous nuisance. Well, the day has finally arrived, & my cabbage complaints will now cease. For the meantime, anyway…

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, which, lately, is not unusual. Anxiety crept in, further heightened by missing the last yoga class of the morning. A cup of tea & a long hot shower calmed the beast for a while. In a addition, some unfinished busies in the kitchen was dully nagging at me – I needed to use up the cabbage & fennel I’ve been avoiding. I get immense joy from cooking & experimenting in the kitchen – even when working with “non-preferred” ingredients, & I knew this might be the only way I could set the afternoon right, & be able to enjoy a sliver of the beautiful day. So I opened the kitchen patio door, let in some sunlight & fresh air, & got to work.

The inspiration for this salad came from a number of sources.

1. Necessity. I needed to find a new & creative way to use the cabbage & fennel from my CSA share.

2. The brilliant blood oranges abound at the Farmers’ Market at the San Francisco Ferry Market Building. I immediately bought a bag upon returning home. (Post about my trip coming soon, I promise).

3. An impulse buy at Trader Joe’s. At least it was a healthy one. :)

4. This beautiful salad & darling video on Roost.

Roost is one of those blogs that make me want to be a better blogger – focus more on creating my own simple recipes, take some photography classes & food styling classes, & polish up & add a bit more zest to my writing. My current schedule doesn’t allow that, but with career shifts (again) likely in the near future, I might have more time to spend honing those skills, & in the place that gives me the most joy – in my kitchen, preparing nourishing food, & taking the time to enjoy the simple pleasure of eating & savoring every bite.

I found immense pleasure in every bite of this salad. From the sweet burst of pomegranate seeds, the juicy tang of the blood orange & hint of anise from the delicately shaved fennel, to the crunch of the tender cabbage & toasted almonds, this salad was bursting with flavor & vibrant with color in every bite. I dressed the salad with Roost’s Ginger Vinaigrette which added a bit more zest & zip to an already flavorful mix.

***I prefer a lightly dressed salad, so I poured in only 1/2 of the dressing. It was the perfect amount to add flavor without causing the cabbage to get soggy.

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I did. Not only did it fill me me new found joy for cabbage, preparing it brought some peace & nourishment to my day. This is a salad I will be making often on warm, quiet afternoons.