SNOW-WHITE CAULIFLOWER -the blog

In thinking of some recipes that have had lots of good feedback cauliflower comes to mind. A whitish cauliflower salad suits a snowy winter season very much. Besides the color, cauliflower brings along loads of vitamin C, also perfect for winter.
Making a cauliflower dish a success is fairly easy. For starters, I recommend roasting cauliflower. This can be done as a whole head – you simply have to take the plastic wrapper off and massage it with sea salt, fresh pepper and vegetable oil then roast it for about 45 minutes in a 380 hot oven. No oven pre-heating necessary just pop it into the cool oven. The cauliflower is done when a pointy knife can be inserted to the center with ease.
A quicker way to cook cauliflower is to cut it in its raw state in bite sized florets and give it a quick sear-toss in a skillet. The advantage of cutting it into small pieces is that there will be more roasting surface which translates to more flavor in general, and it will cook quicker.

roasted cauliflower

Matching the natural cauliflower flavor
Cauliflower is from the cruciferous vegetable family, which have a natural mustard-like quality.  To complement this flavor profile, I blend a small amount of Dijon-style mustard into the dressing besides the usual ingredients, which just enhances that mustard quality, and a bit of maple syrup will round the sharpness of that dressing out. Also, to boost the flavor of the dish I recommend adding salty capers and sliced black olives which will make you reach for seconds of the dish.

Cauliflower Salad with Black Olives and Capers
(recipe makes four side salads)
1 cauliflower
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 grindings black pepper from a mill

1. Cut cauliflower into bite sized florets.
2. Heat a gallon-sized pot on high-heat setting, add the cauliflower then the oil. Cook cauliflower for 4 - 5 minutes. After 3 minute cooking time stir cauliflower with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching. It should have a brown roasted look and a soft texture.
3. Transfer mixture onto a plate and cool on the kitchen counter.

Dressing:
3 tablespoons vinegar, such as cider 
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons grainy Dijon-style mustard, smooth mustard is optional
2 tablespoons black olives such as Kalamata, sliced thinly
1 bunch parsley, rinsed and chopped

1. In a bowl mix vinegar, oil, maple syrup and mustard
2. Add capers and sliced olives

Salad assembly:
In a bowl toss the cauliflower with the dressing and parsley.

Chefs Note: the cauliflower salad goes along terrific on the side of charred steak or grilled fish. If you'd like to prepare it as a main course salad toss one head of chopped romaine lettuce into the cauliflower salad.

...that's how I grew up. My mom's cauliflower with buttered bread crumbs