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Unassuming Cauliflower

April 14, 2020 Lisa Golden Schroeder
photo by Lisa Golden Schroeder

photo by Lisa Golden Schroeder

Farmhouse Shepherd’s Pie features mashed Yukon gold potatoes + cauliflower to top a hearty chicken & veg filling…photo by Dennis Becker, recipe/styling by Lisa Golden Schroeder

Farmhouse Shepherd’s Pie features mashed Yukon gold potatoes + cauliflower to top a hearty chicken & veg filling…photo by Dennis Becker, recipe/styling by Lisa Golden Schroeder

Kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli…these flashier vegetables have led the menu charge for less plate discrimination over the past several years. But a fair-haired sibling, no dumb blond, is taking the veggie side of the plate by storm. Cauliflower is king right now; just its name is intriguing—what kind of flower? This large head of creamy white florets is a certified member of the same cruciferous veggie family (named for the four equal-sized petals in its flowers that could be viewed as forming a cross-like or crucifix shape). And has become the new “it” side dish, as big chunks roasted with lots of garlic or thickly sliced and grilled, like a steak. I’ve always liked the taste of coarsely chopped raw cauliflower in salads, but not as much doused with thick cheese sauce—a 1950’s American favorite. Though that led to my learning to make a real cheese sauce with my mom as a teenager.

            At my own house, steamed broccoli was my go-to when my kids were little. But as cauliflower gained favor, I started to add it to big pans of roasted vegetables. And was surprised at how quickly the cauliflower florets disappeared, even before the sweet butternut squash or wedges of tender red onion. Like other members of its family, cauliflower has a bitter edge to its flavor. But it’s milder and when roasted with a nice drizzle of olive oil it becomes almost buttery—really quite comforting and delicious without the heavy coating of cheese. It can be a blank canvas for all sorts of seasonings, transforming into a luscious Indian side dish with sweet spices and tomatoes or pickled with hot chiles as a condiment for hot Italian sandwiches or tacos. It just makes me happy to see a somewhat old-fashioned vegetable like cauliflower rise up to stardom, joining its more assertive brethren. Its elevation to a riced side dish (lovely if you caramelize chopped leeks and a garlic clove or two before stirring the chopped or grated cauliflower into the skillet) or even as a pizza crust (I have to hand it to whomever thought that variation up) is pretty spectacular. 

Nothing bland about cauliflower…watercolor by Lisa Golden Schroeder

Nothing bland about cauliflower…watercolor by Lisa Golden Schroeder

Photo by Dennis Becker, recipe/styling by Lisa Golden Schroeder

Photo by Dennis Becker, recipe/styling by Lisa Golden Schroeder

            This family of “cole” vegetables (besides cauliflower, cabbage is an important member) are really quite unique, because we eat so many different plant parts. Within the cruciferous vegetable group, we commonly eat the flowers of the plant (like cauliflower or broccoli florets), the leaves (mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, and kale), the stems and stalks (broccoli stems and stalks), the roots (turnips, rutabagas, and radishes), and the seeds (mustard seeds). Which can really boost the number of nutrients we can benefit from if we practice eating widely and diversely.

Give these recipes a spin if anyone at your house still needs convincing that cauliflower is anything but boring…

Farmhouse Shepherd’s Pie

Garlic Lemon Barbecued Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower

Mushroom XO Sauce with Roasted Cauliflower Steaks

Oven-Roasted Veg Linguine

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