Awfully good Cauliflower

It's usually the neglected item on the crudite plate.  Bulbous dull-white florettes whose primary purpose, other than color scheme diversity, are as a delivery mechanism for blue cheese dip.  We pick around the poor cauliflower and likely throw most of it into the compost.  I have never been a big fan of what the French call chou-fleur (cabbage flower), but nonetheless I decided to plant it in my winter garden this year.  Home grown vegetables always taste better, but sometimes home grown vegetables are a completely different and better beast, so to speak.  Home grown tomatoes explode with perfect sweet-acid balance.  Freshly harvested artichokes are among the best things ever to pass my palette.  Cauliflower, usually bland and boring, when picked fresh, offers up flavors that are rich, earthy and spicy.  I've had it dipped in a warm dip of garlic/anchovy/olive oil/butter.  In a vegetable curry the cauliflower added to the flavor profile, instead of just soaking up the other spices.  And I found exquisite simplicity in a gratin of chopped cauliflower and gruyere cheese.  My cauliflower harvest is over, but I will no longer sneer at it when it shows up on my plate.  Even the usual bland piece of cauliflower dipped in Ranch dressing will likely stir the memory of my new favorite winter vegetable.

Bagna Cauda
Finely chop a head of garlic (more or less)
Finely chop one can of anchovies
Heat one cup of olive oil in a small sauce pan
Add the garlic and anchovies, cook over medium heat until the anchovies are dissolved and the garlic is softened (be careful not to allow the garlic to brown or burn)
Add half a stick of butter
Heat until mixture hits a strong, steady simmer

Bring the mixture to the table (use a small chafing dish or fondue pot if you have one).

Enjoy with an array of raw or parboiled vegetables: carrots, broccoli (parboil), asparagus (parboil), red peppers, AND cauliflower.

Cauliflower curry
Heat a little oil (olive or safflower) or ghee if you have it in a sauce pan
Add:
One onion, finely chopped
Two shallots, finely chopped
Garlic (optional)
Curry spices to your taste

Cook over  until onions and shallots are soft

Add:
One large carrot, diced
One red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

Cook until the peppers are loose and soft

Add:
One head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (one inch chunks)

Cook for about 3-4 minutes on high heat, stirring/tossing constantly, until cauliflower is soft and is thoroughly covered with the spices.

Add:
One cup chicken broth OR
One cup light coconut milk
Up to one cup water (to achieve your desired consistency, don't add too much or you'll regret it)
Bring to a simmer

Serve over rice

Optional additions once the base of the stew is complete:
Chick peas
Tofu
Diced boneless chicken breast (cooked)


Cauliflower Gratin
Finely dice one head of cauliflower
Toss with 1/2 cup milk
Add to a buttered baking dish
Top with small dots of butter
Cover in grated Gruyere cheese
Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until cauliflower is soft