Grilled Sausage & Fennel Pepper Slaw with Buttermilk Dressing

Here’s a great dish for locavores – grab a pound of your favorite sausage and grill them, then put them on a bun with a flavorful slaw. We used sausage from Interbrook Farm – available at one of CSA+‘s many pick-up locations! Let’s talk about the slaw for a minute – we’re having a great year for fennel and thin slices of this flavorful bulb make a great base for crunchy slaw. I added a purple pepper and tossed the whole thing a creamy dressing. Top the sausage with your favorite condiments – mustard, chopped onion, hot sauce, whatever. If you have vegetarians coming over – you can also grill up some carrots for them to enjoy!

Like a lot of things, a food processor with a slicing blade works best for getting the fennel into super thin slices. If you don’t have one use a mandoline, or just carefully slices the peppers and fennel as thin as possible. If the vegetables look at all watery, drain before tossing with the dressing. I love the purple pepper here (which is actually an unripe pepper that ultimately turn orange and yellow), but any variety of bell pepper will do.

For the dressing, this easy buttermilk yogurt dressing is my new favorite for any salad. Mix plain yogurt with tangy buttermilk, then season generously with black pepper, salt, and garlic. Finish with red wine vinegar and chives. I might be stretching a bit, but this dressing tastes like a healthy version of ranch. I’m whipping up a larger batch to keep on hand for dipping! If the yogurt and buttermilk combo is too tangy for you, sub sour cream for half of the yogurt.

Grilled Sausage & Fennel Slaw with Buttermilk Dressing

1 lb sausages
hot dog buns or rolls
condiments like mustard, etc

1 fennel bulb
1 bell pepper, any variety
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
lots of fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 small garlic clove, grated

Make the slaw. Remove the very bottom of the fennel bulb and the green tops, then slice into quarters. Slice the pepper in half and remove the core and stem. Use a food processor or mandoline (sharp knife if you don’t have either) to shred the fennel bulb and pepper into super-thin slices. Toss together in a bowl.

Mix the dressing to combine, taste and add more black pepper or salt if necessary. Toss the dressing and vegetables together.

Cook the sausages until browned and cooked through – on a grill over medium high heat flipping occasionally. Or roast at 400°F for about 20 – 25 minutes.

Toast bread if desired. Serve sausages and slaw on toasted rolls with all the fixings!