Cauliflower

Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain

I have only grown cauliflower twice. It takes some very fertile nitrogen-rich soil, and you must rotate your crop, never growing it in the same bed two years in a row. Some people say the rotation should be as long as seven years. Well, who has that much garden? Then, of course, you must blanch cauliflower to keep it white by tying the leaves up over the head while it matures. So, although it’s wonderful fresh from the garden I don’t grow it. There’s great cauliflower in the market. Here are some recipes:

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

1 head cauliflower separated into small flowerets
1 bunch broccoli separated into flowerets
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Mix first four ingredients together; pour dressing over and mix to blend. Make at least 2 hours in advance.


Smokey Cauliflower au gratin

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 Tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely minced
1-2 Tablespoons chili peppers, finely minced ( I use really hot ones like habanero, but use as mild or hot as you prefer)
2 cups Milk
1/2 to 1 cup vegetable broth to thin out the roux
1 1/2 cups Smoked Gouda cheese, coarsely grated

Mix the flour, salt and pepper together and set aside. Parboil the cauliflower in salted water for 3 minutes. Remove, drain and set aside. In a skillet, sauté the shallots and peppers in butter. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the shallots and stir. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly to create a roux. Once the roux has thickened, thin to a desired texture with the vegetable broth, remove from the burner and stir in 1 cup of the cheese.

Place the cauliflower in one large baking dish or divided into individual baking dishes. Pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

If you want a really spectacular looking dish you can leave the cauliflower whole, parboil it about 10 minutes or until tender. Then cover it with the sauce and cheese and bake. It's more difficult to serve it this way, but it looks great on the table.

Grilled Cauliflower

1 Head Cauliflower broken into florets
Marinate in lemon garlic marinade about half an hour, or longer. Thread on skewers and grill about 10 minutes, turning once or twice.

Lemon Garlic Marinade
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
½ Teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Blend all ingredients except oil in food processor or blender until smooth. Slowly add olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.