Cauliflower

One evening not long ago, I had about one hour to make dinner for the family—and eat—between getting home from one activity and going out to another. I improvised based on what was in the fridge rather than following a recipe. This was the result; everyone liked this simple dish so much that I was compelled to compose a recipe for it, and have followed it many times since.

If I had to choose a favorite quinoa dish, it would be this one. With just a few ingredients, it manages to showcase sweet, savory, and nutty flavors all at once.

We’ve rarely gone out for Indian food without including aloo gobi among our selections. It’s a vegetarian/vegan standard. This rendition comes together quickly, and the tofu mimics paneer, the bland, soft cheese found in some Indian dairy dishes.

A savory short crust flavored with manchego envelops Spanish-inspired hand pies filled with oven-roasted cauliflower, toasted hazelnut paste, chopped rosemary, and more of the grated cheese. Serve them as an appetizer, with slices of membrillo (Spanish quince paste often served alongside cheese, for tapas) and a glass of fine sherry.

If prepared with a bit of inspiration, cauliflower can taste complex and flavorful. As with all recipes, the simpler the preparation, the more important attention to detail becomes, and with this dish, it’s all about the high-heat roasting. Don’t be afraid of a few burned edges. Cauliflower is low in sugar, so roast it hot and fast so that it browns well but keeps some of its wonderful crunchy texture. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the roasting pan, as this will cause the vegetable to steam instead of roast. You’ll love this alongside our Bouillabaisse Balls (page 23).

The mimolette cheese in this dish makes it look like a favorite Kraft product and will have your kids chomping at the bit to eat cauliflower.

This is a staple in pretty much every professional kitchen, and with this easy method, it could be in yours, too. We like to eat the crudités with our Zesty Italian Tartare (page 245).

Chef Kevin Roberts transforms humble cauliflower into a dead ringer for shrimp cocktail with a brief poach in cleverly seasoned water and a dunk in cocktail sauce. "It's something my mom used to make for us," he explains. "As kids, we went to the lake a lot, and she would throw this down as a snack. It's also a great party option for vegetarians and people with shellfish allergies."

Chopped walnuts nicely complement the rich walnut oil in the dressing.

Plain roasted veggies are fantastic as is, but tossing them with butter, capers, and lemon really takes them over the top.

Most people steam or boil cauliflower, but roasting really brings out its sweetness. Brian tosses the sizzling cauliflower with gremolata, a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest—aromatic ingredients that release their aromas when they hit the hot vegetable. Toasted bread crumbs provide a pleasing crunch. Serve as an accompaniment to tuna or swordfish, or toss with spaghetti.

In the minds of many West Coast chefs, the Dungeness crab is the ocean’s finest crustacean. Canadian chef Ned Bell, who attended the 2004 Workshop, showcases the sweet meat in this pasta sauce, which gets some of its creamy body from pureed cauliflower. The dish is rich and worthy of the spotlight, so balance it with a simple butter lettuce salad in a tangy vinaigrette.

A colorful platter of crudités and dip is a sure crowd-pleaser for a party—or simply as a snack. As an alternative to lemon-thyme dip, serve the vegetables with the white-bean dip on page 51.

Smothered in a rich, creamy Gruyère-cheese sauce, then sprinkled with toasted parmesan bread crumbs, cauliflower becomes a favorite-comfort-food contender.

Cauliflower topped with brown butter and bread crumbs is a classic French dish; here the same components (plus sage, often used to flavor brown butter) combine to produce a delicious pasta sauce.

ANYONE WHO’S COOKED WITH ME KNOWS I LOVE CAPERS. (If I had my way, I’d write a caper cookbook.) Here’s a dish I’ve made at home for years that we now sell at Pasta & Co. The rich flavor of cauliflower balances perfectly with the lemon and capers, while the red onion gives the dish a hint of color and a little crunch.

THIS COLORFUL CASSEROLE is reminiscent of lasagne, but it uses vegetables in place of pasta. It’s a great main dish for vegetarians and does double duty as a vegetable side dish that is reminiscent of a starch dish. While the recipe requires several steps, each element can be made ahead and then assembled at the last minute.

THIS IS A TRULY DECADENT DISH, but you won’t want to save it for special occasions. Adding another Pacific Northwest flavor to our classic mac and cheese was easy; the base is a cheese sauce made from flavorful crab stock, and cauliflower balances the sweet crab flavor.

THIS IS THE SAME GREAT BEECHER’S MAC AND CHEESE recipe taken to a new level, with the spice of chiles and the addition of vegetables. Feel free to experiment with leftover cheeses for new flavor combinations.