The Beauty of Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, and has been since I was a kid. It is flavorful on its own, tasty in other dishes, and can be disgused in endless ways to fool children into thinking their eating junk food. Not to mention that it’s cheap and laden with vitamins, which makes it a fantastic frugal food. Here are some of the ways I like it best:

As an ingrediant in vegetable curry, steam first, then mix with steamed carrots, chopped tomatoes and garbanzo beans and your favorite Indian sauce (I like Pataks). Serve with cool yogurt sauce.

Roasted, à la Mandajuice. Yum.

In cauliflower cream soup; a creamy mix of cauliflower, onion, cream cheese and horseradish. I promise to publish the recipe before winter’s up!

As a secret ingredient in mashed potatoes.

As a secret ingredient in chili. Yes, chili! I oversalted the pinto beans, and in an effort to save the batch, I added steamed pureed cauliflower while I was cooking the chil. You couldn’t taste it, but it added a touch of creaminess and yes, absorbed the salt.

Steamed, then served cold, with a nice vinagrette, as the French do.

Or, in a gratin, a creamed casserole. Steam, then place in a buttered bakin pan. Smother in white sauce, then sprinkle with grated cheese; cheddar or jack are best.

How do you like your cauliflower?