Home Alone with Too Much Cauliflower!

We are now entering that glorious time in Cornwall when the centres of operation of major supermarkets fail to come to terms with the huge drop in customers once the tourists have left the area. The shops are overstocked and what bargains we glean!

A few days ago we gleaned quite a bag full including a lovely cauliflower for 10p which is great but I already had a lovely cauliflower in the fridge.

This gave me a chance to play with my food, sorry Daddy, and this is what I came up with.

Roasted Cauliflower “Steak”

This is something I’ve wanted to try for years but never got round to which is shame because it’s lovely. I decided rather than start researching into what must be a simple thing I’d wing it.

~   Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/180C fan/gas 6.
~   Cut a slice or more of cauliflower, crosswise and about 2cm/¾” thick.
~   Coat slice(s) with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
~   Lay in a shallow roasting tin and cook for about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through, till just tender and prettily golden.

It worked …

What does one do with a roasted cauliflower slice?  Well it could be a side dish or perhaps an alternative cauliflower pizza base (I often read of these  but don’t fancy them; sort of cooked cauli and cheese pressed into a pizza shape).  A vibrant dressing would be good on it  with cauli enhancing flavours such as garlic, capers, olives or walnuts but I decided to savour it with smoked garlic, fresh sage, (I took a cutting from the enormous bunch my neighbour gave me a while ago) and Parmesan. 

Roasted cauliflower is surprisingly delicious so whilst the oven was on I also roasted some florets which took just about 15 minutes.

Roasted Cauliflower Curry

Serves 2 as the main dish

 1 small cauliflower broken into florets and roasted as above
1 large onion 
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp curry paste
a squeeze of lemon juice
fresh cilantro – if possible

~   Peel and halve the onion. Cut crosswise into thin half moons.
~   Heat the oil in a small pan and toss the onion slices in it separating the layers.
~   Carefully cover the onions with a piece of foil (or a butter wrapper) to cover completely.
~   Turn down the heat to low and cook gently, stirring from time to time, till the onions are completely soft and maybe just starting to caramelise.
~   Stir in the curry paste and lemon juice and cook a couple of minutes more.
~   Taste and season (remembering that the roasted cauliflower is already seasoned) and spoon the spicy onions over the roasted cauliflower florets.
~   Sprinkle with chopped cilantro – if you can.

Cauliflower Cheese Fritters

2 tbsp self raising flour
30g grated Cheddar – I used lovely Cornish Crackler
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
a little milk
100g cooked cauliflower – in small pieces

~   Mix together the flour, cheese and seasonings.
~   Stir in the egg and then add enough milk to make a very soft dough (or, possibly, a very thick batter).
~   Stir in the cauliflower.
~   Drop tablespoonfully into a little hot olive oil and fry till crisp and golden on both sides.

I topped these with a big spoonful of spicy tomato pasta sauce which I always keep in my store cupboard.  It occurs to me that these fritters would work, with flavour adjustments, for 100g of all sorts of leftovers!

Cauliflower Soup

Serves 4-6

Especially good as the weather is turning colder (I just put the heating on for the first time since the spring). This is, of course, based on my great super flexible soup recipe.

1 onion cooked as above in the curry recipe
1 tsp minced garlic
500g peeled floury potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper – thinly sliced
1 head cauliflower – divided into florets
500ml or more good stock
a little double cream optional
salt and pepper

~   When the onions are almost tender add the garlic and continue cooking a little longer.
~   Add potato, and enough stock to just cover it.
~   Bring to a boil, cover the pan, turn down the heat and cook till the potatoes are almost tender.
~   Add almost the cauliflower and cook gently till that too is tender.
~   Purée the soup adding more stock and cream till the soup is just the way you like it.
~   Taste and adjust the seasoning.

A few more ideas for Cauliflower …

~   Cauliflower Cheese, naturally – cook the cauli al dente, drain well and toss in hot cheese sauce, sprinkle with more cheese and breadcrumbs and bake till hot, bubbling, crisp and golden.
~   Salad – turn freshly cooked still hot and just tender florets in a vinaigrette and chill till needed..
~   Coat just cooked florets in a batter and deep fry. 
~   Reheat cooked cauliflower in a little cream together with a scraping of nutmeg which goes very well with this vegetable.
~   Sauté cooked cauliflower in a little butter together with garlic, stir in grated cheese and serve on toast. I have had enormous success (well I thought so) doing this using black garlic and St. Agur blue cheese. Oh yum!

In Other News …

Despite the cooler weather our primroses are still flowering – I’d like to know what their plans are for the spring!

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