Cauliflower Revelations

When considering vegetables, cauliflower didn't used to be near the top of my list of favorites. It hovered in the rather bland and unexciting catagory along with cabbage and turnips. Over the past couple of years since I've learned to roast it rather than steam it and more recently, to puree it, it has been promoted. My husband commented that I seem to be really INTO cauliflower lately. Well, I have been trying to perfect a blended cauliflower soup recipe so I've been making it a lot. It is also great pureed as a substitute for mashed potatoes  I blogged about roasting it awhile back and will repeat the method for doing so here: 


Method: Slice cauliflower into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick "steaks" and pieces. Place in a single layer on oiled baking sheet, brush with your favorite oil, sprinkle with your favorite salt and pepper and roast at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes till nicely browned on the side touching the pan. Seriously, if you are just lukewarm to cauli, this will change your opinion. I can enthusiastically eat an entire small head of cauliflower prepared this way (in one sitting).


So, coincidentally, as I was busy experimenting with cauliflower soups I saw a recipe for one in the winter edible Reno-Tahoe foodie magazine. I really like this magazine. It comes out quarterly and celebrates the local food culture of an area. I especially appreciate the non-glossy, thick paper the magazine is printed on. There are numerous "edible" magazines that publish all over the country. Perhaps there is one representing your "foodshed" below:
Edible Allegheny
Edible Aspen
Edible Austin

Edible Boston

Edible Brooklyn

Edible Blue Ridge

Edible Buffalo

Edible Cape Cod

Edible Chicago

Edible Cleveland

Edible Columbus

Edible East Bay

Edible Dallas & Fort Worth

Edible DC

Edible East End

Edible Finger Lakes

Edible Front Range

Edible Grande Traverse

Edible Green Mountains

Edible Hawaiian Islands

Edible Hudson Valley

Edible Iowa River Valley

Edible Indy

Edible Jersey

Edible Louisville

Edible Madison

Edible Manhattan

Edible Marin & Wine Country

Edible Memphis

Edible Michiana

Edible Monterey Bay

Edible New Orleans

Edible Nutmeg

Edible Ohio Valley

Edible Ojai

Edible Omaha

Edible Orange County

Edible Orlando

Edible Philly

Edible Phoenix

Edible Piedmont

Edible Portland

Edible Queens

Edible Reno-Tahoe

Edible Rhody

Edible Sacramento

Edible San Diego

Edible San Francisco

Edible San Juan Mountains

Edible Santa Barbara

Edible Santa Fe

Edible Sarasota

Edible Seattle

Edible Shasta-Butte

Edible Sonoran Desert

Edible South Florida

Edible South Shore

Edible Toronto

Edible Twin Cities

Edible Upcountry

Edible Vancouver

Edible Vineyard

Edible Wasatch

Edible Westside

Edible WOW

My adaptation of the cauliflower soup recipe which was courtesy of Jack Rabbit Moon restaurant of Incline Village, NV, was the most flavorful yet. I will share it here:


Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Gruyere and Pesto Croutons


1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped or sliced
1 t. salt
4 garlic cloves chopped or minced
pinch of thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower broken in pieces
1/2+ cup grated gruyere or any type of Swiss cheese
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half


Saute onions, garlic, and salt for 5 minutes over medium heat. Deglaze with white wine and cook until nearly evaporated. Add broth, cream, and cauliflower and simmer until tender (approx. 25 minutes). Cool slightly and then puree in blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir the grated cheese into the still nearly hot soup. I like to save a little cheese to sprinkle on top.


For the croutons: Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Cut whatever kind of bread you have into cubes and saute, stirring over medium heat until crispy. 


Serve soup with croutons as they are or tossed in pesto for an extra burst of flavor. You can drizzle olive oil and/or cheese and sprinkle chopped fresh herbs if you like (basil, parsley, chives...).

Who knew cauliflower could taste this good?

Enjoy!

Is it another food blog?!

Since I clearly put the cart before the horse (as I am wont to do when I get excited about something) when creating this blog, its mission statement is still under construction. Without a doubt there will be a focus on food. This is because I am passionate about food. I love to grow it, harvest it, process it, cook it, bake it, smell it, touch it, savor it, look at it, photograph it, indulge in it, share it, and in all these ways, and more, am nourished by it.


So yes, I guess at least for starters, it is yet another food blog. But I'm guessing it will be one of those "all over the map" types with joyous food related bits scattered throughout. And who is my audience? Perhaps there will be none. In a way it is an extremely personal project, a journal of sorts, that I'm hoping will help clarify my life's future direction for me. In the beginning there will be a lot of dusting off my brain as I haven't had occasion to write much in the last ~6 years. I am brand new to blogging and have much to learn: how to write a good post, post good photos, design a pleasing site.....etc. Off now to make honey ice cream with my son. Had roasted caulifower for lunch. Will try posting photos.

Roasted until they began to carmalize

If you haven't had cauliflower like this
you are in for a treat!

Method: Place cauliflower in a single layer on oiled baking sheet, slather with your favorite oil, sprinkle with your favorite salt and pepper and roast at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes till nicely browned. Of course, all kinds of veggies are delectable this way. A nice discovery this year was roasting fresh garden radishes in this same way, including the radish greens which became crunchy and munchable. Our family are not huge raw radish fans. My son, 5, grows them mostly to supply a favorite non-gardening, radish-loving neighbor. But roasted they were completely transformed and devoured happily.