I work weekends in a retail store. This weekend gave me a sampling of the busy shopping season that is coming in the weeks ahead. It is Sunday night and I am tired. As I settled into my fuzzy slippers and blow on my hot cup of tea, I realized I did not get the cheese. My quiet moment will have to wait.
I decided to go to the closest high end grocery store. I was fairly sure they would carry Fontina. They did. Well, sort of. I found a beautifully crafted label a top a wedge of Wisconsin “Fontina” cheese. This cheese was as white as cream cheese and I’m sure just as tasteless. After the day I’ve had, I was not willing to drive the 64 miles round trip to the store I absolutely knew would have imported Italian Fontina. I picked out a substitute. I am not a cheese connoisseur. I chose a nice pale yellow, creamy looking wedge of imported Jarlsberg because of the buttery and nutty description.
At home I thinly sliced my red cabbage before sautéing it with olive oil and garlic. I let the cabbage cook down as instructed. My beef slices were thin but I gave them a few poundings before rolling them with the boiled ham and Jarlsberg. When I tasted the cabbage to check for softness I was surprised how delicious it was. I could have eaten the whole skillet for dinner by myself. Normally, I eat red cabbage raw and use green cabbage for cooking. I browned the beef rolls. The cabbage was added to the pan then I poured in the wine. Smells yummy!
The beef and cabbage is done after ten more minutes of cooking. This is a hearty but not heavy meal full of wonderful flavor. The wine adds a layer of fruitiness. The Jalrsberg worked out fine. The rich, nutty profile played well against the saltiness of the ham and sweetness of the beef. I enjoyed it and so did my family.