Yes, I know, I know, more roasted vegetables?
But I didn't include this one last time, mostly because it is so special, you should eat it all by itself.
And it's all I've got.
Things have been a little crazy around here. And one of the byproducts of this craziness has been me, sitting with my head in my hands at the kitchen counter, muttering, "What the hell do I feed you guys?"
I have been known to cry over cookbooks. I am that dramatic when I lose my inspiration.
Joey jumps on it... "Let's go out for pizza!"
But no- our shelves are busting with bounty that I cannot combine, and what would Miss wheat-free eat at the pizza place?
These are the times when I spend too much at the store and come back home feeling like my bags are filled with nothing. I plan meals, I write shopping lists, but I still get stuck. Isn't there a pill for this?
But there are moments of clarity. I escaped the hurricane that was my house on Saturday (Sadie was the eiffel tower!) and went to the last farmer's market of the season. I only had eyes for the cauliflower. I went for the buttery white, but oh, the riches that poured out of the baskets. Did you know that a brassica could be this beautiful?
Almost indecent, don't you think?
Cauliflower gets a bad rap, but roasted, you could almost give it out to trick or treaters. It becomes sweet and tender, and buttery. It needs nothing but a little salt and pepper, but some are partial to cumin seed, which is also quite lovely.
Maybe you've roasted cauliflower, maybe you know. But if you haven't, it's easy. Preheat your oven to 400. Cut the cauliflower into florets by chopping the end of the stem off. Toss in a bowl with a touch of olive oil, a scatter of salt and pepper, and a bit of cumin seed if you wish. Spread on an oiled tray in the upper part of the oven. Roast for 20-30 minutes, shuffling the cauliflower around from time to time. The florets will become a bit caramelized, and the brown spots are the sweetest.
I adore roasted cauliflower! Orangette has a post about it from way back, and in the comments there's a variation on roasted cauliflower that is fancy enough for guests and quick enough for weeknight dinner: in addition to the olive oil and salt, toss some thin half moon slices of red onion, some garam masala, and some chick peas. You won't regret it. We also sometimes slice it into big, thick pieces rather than doing florets and eat it with a mayonaise-y white wine and tarragon sauce. I might be a little passionate about roasted cauliflower.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness, look at that cauliflower! I have never seen anything quite like that one on the right. It looks like it belongs swaying in the cerulean waters of some vast coral reef....
ReplyDeleteSince I not that crazy about cauliflower, I should try roasting it...looks very tempting I must say :-)
ReplyDeleteI've been having quite a few of those "none of these ingredients go together" moments myself lately. That's when my husband pushes me out of the kitchen and makes a lovely omelete, or magically finds a way to put things on our dinner plate I wouldn't have considered. I love roasted cauliflower. It's wonderful to roast, then puree into a rich soup. The color will be off a bit, but who cares!
ReplyDeleteI toss mine in a bit of yogurt and tandoori masala or yellow curry powder and roast the same way - delicious. I kind of want to do this right now.
ReplyDeleteTonight.
i want some!
ReplyDeletedono