Cauliflower | Hmong American Farmers Association

Brassica oleracea, Botrytis Group

Cauliflower is one of the many members of the Brassica family, which includes cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, kale, and collards. Broccoli and cauliflower are kissing cousins; at one point they were actually identical plants until humans began breeding them for their most desired traits.

Cauliflower is grown for its distinctive heads of modified, undeveloped flowers, called curds, which can be white, green, purple, and even orange. Technically, all parts of the cauliflower plant are edible, although the leaves and stalks are (sadly!) usually ignored.

Like most brassicas, cauliflower thrives in cooler weather, and the crop starts coming into its own in the fall and often remains one of the last vegetables to appear in CSA boxes. It is a slower-growing crop than broccoli and cabbage, but its sweet mellowness, heightened by the season’s first frosts, make it well worth the wait.

History

Cauliflower probably originated in Asia Minor, and there is some evidence that the ancient Romans cultivated it. It was slow to enter the rest of Europe, appearing on French tables only in the 1600s and on American shores about a hundred years later. Cauliflower remains a very popular vegetable in China, India, and Europe.

Nutrition

A single cup of boiled cauliflower contains about 29 calories and is an extremely good source of vitamins C and K. It also provides folate, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, manganese, and potassium. Along with its other brassica relatives, cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, containing phytonutrients that may help prevent cancer.

Season

Commercially, cauliflower is widely grown and available year-round. But its peak season at farmers markets and CSAs is in the fall and early winter.

Selection

Look for clean, tightly compact heads of uniform color, with no soft or discolored areas, which could indicate rot, extreme age, or sliminess. The size of the heads is not related to quality, but a head that is enveloped in green leaves is likely to be fresher.

Storage

Cauliflower should be stored in the refrigerator vegetable crisper, tightly wrapped in a plastic bag, stem side down so as not to trap moisture in the florets. It is not the best keeper, especially cut florets, and should be used within 1 week.

Trimming and Cleaning

To prepare, snap off the green leaves surrounding the curds, and cut the entire head in half. Then slice the florets away from the central stem and core. (You can save this stem and core and prepare them like broccoli stems, or use them in soup stocks.) Or you can keep the entire head intact to steam or roast whole.

If you cut the cauliflower and store part of it for later use, the exposed surfaces will probably discolor to a light brown, because of natural oxidation. Just trim these parts away before you next use the cauliflower.

Steaming and Boiling

Cauliflower should be cooked at a bare minimum, as its unpleasant sulfurous odor becomes stronger with overcooking. Steaming is far preferable to boiling, which makes the curds watery. Place the florets in a steamer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. An entire head may take 10 to 12 minutes, depending on its size.

If you simply must boil cauliflower, cook it, covered, as briefly as possible in about 2 inches of boiling, salted water for about 7 to 10 minutes for florets, or 10 to 15 minutes for a whole head.

Stir-Frying and Sautéing

Break up the florets into small, uniform pieces, with a minimum of stem attached, since the stems will cook unevenly. Stir-fry in oil, butter, ghee, or water for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they become tender.

As with broccoli, cauliflower benefits from parboiling or a brief steaming for a few minutes before to sautéing. Then sauté in butter, oil, and seasonings for 2 to 3 minutes.

Baking and Roasting

Cauliflower is terrific baked and roasted, for this cooking method caramelizes the vegetable’s natural sugars. To make the baking go faster, you can steam cauliflower first until it turns tender. Then combine it with breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and seasonings, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in a 375°F oven, or until the top is golden brown.

To roast, separate cauliflower into florets, place them in a lightly greased roasting pan, toss with oil and seasonings, and put in a 400°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. An entire, intact head may take 1 to 1¼ hours in a 400°F oven.

Microwaving

Arrange florets in a microwave-safe dish, with the curds pointed toward the center. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook on high power. (Depending on your microwave wattage and the size of the pieces, you might need to increase cooking times, as cauliflower often cooks unevenly in the microwave.)

1 cup = 2 to 3 minutes
2 cups = 3 to 4 minutes
1 pound = 8 to 10 minutes
Whole cauliflower = 11 to 15 minutes

Blanching and Freezing

Freezing cauliflower affects its texture significantly, causing it to break down. Still, frozen cauliflower is fine for recipes calling for it to be pureed.

For best results, blanch no more than 1 pound at a time. Cut the heads into individual pieces about 1 inch in diameter. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the cauliflower, cover, and blanch for 3 minutes. Then drain and plunge the cauliflower into ice water to stop the cooking process. Pack in zipper-lock freezer or vacuum food sealer-type bags, or freezer containers. Squeeze out any excess air (unless you are using the vacuum sealing method); no headspace is necessary. Frozen cauliflower will keep for up to 1 year at 0°F.

Equivalents, Measures, and Servings

1 head = 1½ pounds = 6 cups florets = 1½ cups chopped

Complementary Herbs, Seasonings, and Foods

Almonds, bacon, basil, béchamel sauce, breadcrumbs, broccoli, brown butter, butter, capers, caraway, cayenne pepper, cheese (Cheddar, Manchego, Gouda, feta, Havarti), chervil, chiles, chives, citrus, cream, coconut milk, coriander, créme fraîche, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, ghee, green olives, green onions, ham, hollandaise sauce, horseradish, leeks, lemon, mushrooms, mussels, mustard, nutmeg, nuts, olive oil, onion, oregano, paprika, parsley, pasta, pepper, potatoes, saffron, tomato sauce, turmeric, walnuts, watercress.

Serving Suggestions

Cauliflower’s neutral flavor and color makes it an excellent backdrop for spicy seasonings such as curry. In India, cauliflower is often cooked with turmeric, cumin, and saffron.
A classic cauliflower dish calls for steamed or boiled florets topped with a cheese or cream sauce.
Cooked cauliflower can be pureed and used as a soup base, along with cream, seasonings, broth, potatoes, etc.
Add tiny bits of raw cauliflower to chopped vegetable salads for crunch.
Use it in casseroles by itself or with broccoli.
Serve raw cauliflower florets with a variety of taste-tempting dipping sauces.
Steam cauliflower just until done, dredge in flour and seasonings, and fry until brown.
Try tossing cauliflower florets with a mixture of butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cumin, and pepper, and baking until they are caramelized.
Marinate steamed cauliflower pieces with other vegetables such as peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, and carrots in a vinaigrette. Serve chilled.
Cauliflower is fast becoming the new rice. Chop or pulse it in a food processor until it is the consistency of couscous or rice grains. Then sauté it with chopped onions and other seasonings. You can even use it as a base for making a gluten-free pizza crust or even breadsticks.
Cauliflower can be baked (and blackened) at very high heat similar to broccoli; an entire head of it artfully roasted and seasoned this way can be a most impressive—and delicious—dish.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Green Curry Chicken with Broccoli and Cauliflower

Serves 2

½ head broccoli
½ head cauliflower
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (¼ cube)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons green curry paste

Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-size pieces and steam until they are tender-crisp. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic and chicken breast slices in the olive oil. When the chicken is cooked through, push it to the outer edges of the pan.
Melt the butter in the center of the pan over low heat. Add the cream and curry paste; blend and stir in the chicken, then turn off the heat. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and stir to coat them with the sauce. Cover, and let the flavors meld for about 5 minutes.

— Nadine Bayer, The Bluff Country Co-op Cookbook

Dorothy’s Cauliflower Salad

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into bite-size pieces
¼ cup chopped green onions
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ cup chopped green pepper
10 whole black olives

Mayo-Sour Cream Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
Italian seasoning (to taste)

Combine the cauliflower, green onions, celery, green pepper, and black olives in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and Italian seasoning to taste.
Pour the dressing over the cauliflower mixture and toss until evenly coated. Let the salad sit for a few hours to let the flavors mingle.

Cooking Note: I sometimes add chopped parsley, use the small, brightly colored sweet peppers as well as the green ones, and add sliced black olives (and more of them). If I don’t happen to have sour cream on hand, I use just the mayonnaise. Other changes I sometimes make include using hot sauce in place of the Italian seasoning and using less mayonnaise.

— Esther McRae

Roasted Cauliflower with Endive and Lemon

Serves 4

Source Note: This is an elegant, restaurant-style side dish (or first course) that hails from Quinn’s Pub in Seattle, Washington. This popular gastropub offers food that aims to take bar food to the next level—of freshness, of sophistication, and of deliciousness.

½ large head cauliflower (about 1¾ pound whole)
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head Belgian endive
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon champagne or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock
1½ tablespoons finely sliced fresh mint leaves

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 385°F.
Cut the cauliflower into medium florets, then cut the florets into thick slices. (They will vary in size, but the idea is to create some flat surfaces that will rest on the pan and caramelize nicely.) Toss the florets with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, a few big pinches of salt, and several grinds of pepper. Spread them, flat sides down, on a heavy baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are tender and golden brown. Transfer the pieces to a plate and set aside.
Meanwhile, trim the Belgian endive and separate it into leaves. Rub the leaves with another tablespoon or so of the olive oil to coat the surfaces. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Place the leaves on the baking sheet that you used for the cauliflower and roast for 5 minutes, or until the leaves are slightly softened and just barely brown around the edges. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle the leaves with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar. Cover with foil to keep warm.
To finish, heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat with the butter and chicken stock. Add the cauliflower pieces and cook, tossing to distribute the butter and stock, until the pan is dry.
To finish, sprinkle the fresh mint over the endive leaves. Put the cauliflower into a shallow bowl and tuck the endive leaves onto and around it. Serve immediately.

— Adapted by Lisa Gordanier from Quinn’s Pub, Seattle, Washington

From Bounty from the Box: The CSA Farm Cookbook, by Mi Ae Lipe