Roasted Pork & Olive Tapenade

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Line a sheet pan with foil. Cut out and discard the core of the cauliflower or romanesco; cut into small florets. Place in a bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Reserving the bowl, transfer to the sheet pan and arrange in an even layer on one side. 

Pat the pork dry with paper towels; place in the reserved bowl. Season on all sides with salt, pepper, and enough of the spice blend to coat (you may have extra). Rub the seasonings onto the pork. Transfer to the other side of the sheet pan of cauliflower or romanesco florets. Roast 32 to 34 minutes, or until the cauliflower or romanesco is tender when pierced with a fork and the pork is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the pork should register 145°F). Remove from the oven. Transfer the roasted pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes.

While the pork and cauliflower or romanesco roast, peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Separate the kale leaves from the stems; discard the stems, then thinly slice the leaves. Zest the lemon to get 2 teaspoons (if you don’t have a zester, use a peeler to remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Roughly chop the olives, peppers, and capers. Combine in a bowl; add the juice of 2 lemon wedges and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. 

Once the pork and cauliflower or romanesco have roasted about 25 minutes, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic and sliced kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add 2 tablespoons of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat. Stir in the fromage blanc. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Evenly top the roasted cauliflower or romanesco with the lemon zest and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges. Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested pork; thinly slice crosswise against the grain. Serve the sliced pork with the finished kale and finished cauliflower or romanesco. Top the pork with the tapenade. Enjoy!