In Greece we traditionally boil cauliflower and broccoli in plenty of water, but the small tender ones we get today taste better steamed, I think. This saves us from the terrible stink that was pestering our kitchen in the winter whenever my mother boiled cauliflower to make father’s favorite salad. Although he loved cauliflower, as well as boiled cabbage, their smell as they cooked always made him furious; he yelled at mother that she had forgotten to use celery, or vinegar in the water to eliminate the smell — although she kept trying both ‘remedies’ with no success.

When I started cooking in my own kitchen I was determined to adopt the more advanced techniques, so instead of boiling, I roasted my cauliflowers. After a few years and many tries –roasting the cauliflower covered, wrapped in parchment paper etc.– I finally decided that it could never be as tender, succulent, and silky as the boiled or steamed one.

Later I discovered that restaurants usually grill or fry the already steamed or boiled cauliflower florets.

The oversized cauliflowers have almost completely disappeared, although we occasionally find some here, on Kea.

The Maroulis’ farm stand in the winter of 2008.

At the small Otzias valley, nearby, the Maroulis family cultivates seasonal heirloom vegetables feeding the soil with manure from their sheep, goats, and hens, and saving seeds from one year to the next. Their crops depend very much on the elements, as they never use any kind of pest repellents, mainly because they don’t want to waste money; now they heard it is cool to be ‘organic’ they started to advertise it, of course. Maria, the younger daughter, proudly explains to the vacationers who stop to buy vegetables from their stand that the far from perfect tomatoes, or some strange-looking cucumbers and zucchini are better than the supermarket’s. Unfortunately, this fall’s unusually warm weather that extended the summery beach days almost completely ruined their delicious huge cabbages that I was looking forward to enjoying. They were devoured by slags and rotted; I suspect the same happened to their cauliflowers.

Our garden is hopeless, as I often repeat, with stony soil that needs lots and lots of expensive compost and manure if we want to get even a few vegetables. But greens and herbs we do manage to get, and I decided to forgo even lahanides, the old-fashioned kale-like leaves I used to plant with little success. We have never managed to get a decent cabbage, but once, a few years back, we got a couple of small, yellow and purple cauliflowers around the end of winter; they were grown from heirloom southern Italian seeds I ordered online. Unfortunately, we never managed to repeat the achievement, although we used the exact same seeds the year after.

I must admit that the old huge cauliflowers were somewhat intimidating so I don’t particularly miss them; they had less tender florets and more stems, which are fine for the gratin dish I propose, but if you love a simple salad the small ones are the best.

I often buy two cauliflowers and use for the gratin the stems from both, but only a few of the florets. The fragrant Rosemary-scented Cauliflower salad I serve steaming the florets is simple and delicious.

RECIPES:

Cauliflower Gratin with Garlic and Feta

Rosemary-scented Cauliflower salad

The post Cauliflower stories appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Serves 3-4

1 head cauliflower (about 3 pounds)

Salt

The Vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons fruity olive oil

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Rosemary blossoms (optional)

1 -2 tablespoons Nigella seeds

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Pare the hard stem of the cauliflower, discarding only the outer layers along with any wilted green leaves. Quarter the cauliflower, separate the florets from the stem and arrange the florets in a basket or colander that can be fitted over a pot (or a steamer, if you have one).

Place the stems in a pot and add water to cover. Sprinkle with some salt and bring to a boil. Place the florets on top, cover and steam for about 15 minutes, or until the florets are tender. The stems should be tender too. If not, boil a few minutes more.

Drain well on paper towels and transfer to a bowl.

Prepare the dressing: In a jar add the olive oil, lemon, mustard, if using, and add a good pinch of salt and pepper, as well as half the chopped rosemary leaves. Close the jar and beat to mix the sauce and pour over the warm cauliflower. Sprinkle with the rest of rosemary and the blossoms, along with the nigella seeds and red pepper flakes, if you like, and serve.

The post Cauliflower Salad with Rosemary-scented Vinaigrette appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

My recipe is loosely based on a broccoli and potato gratin from Provence, described by Guy Gedda in his classic book La Table d’un Provençal.

VEGETARIAN  

Serves 4-5   (I use a clay 9-by-8 inch  (23X20 cm) baking pan; a square, oval or round roughly 9 or 10-inch (23 or 20 cm) baking pan works just as well) 

1 head cauliflower (about 3 pounds)

Salt

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup whole milk

Olive oil Béchamel Sauce (recipe follows)

1/2 pound Feta cheese, crumbled

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

About 1/2 cup Olive oil

1/4 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, coarsely ground

Preheat the oven to 400 F (about 200 C).

Pare the hard stem of the cauliflower, discarding only the outer layers along with any wilted green leaves. Quarter the cauliflower, separate the florets from the stem and arrange the florets in a basket or colander that can be fitted over a pot (or a steamer, if you have one).

Place the stems in a pot and add water to cover. Sprinkle with some salt and bring to a boil. Place the florets on top, cover and steam for about 15 minutes, or until the florets are tender. The stems should be tender too. If not, boil a few minutes more.

Drain the stems and pat dry with kitchen paper. Drop them in a food processor together with the garlic and milk and process to get a smooth paste. Mix with the béchamel, add Feta cheese and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Stir, taste and adjust seasoning.

Brush the pan with olive oil and sprinkle with half the breadcrumbs and seeds. Lay the cauliflower florets over the crumb and seed mixture and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Top with the béchamel mixture, sprinkle with the rest of the crumbs and seeds, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden and sizzling. Let cool slightly, serving warm or at room temperature.

VARIATION:

Cauliflower Gratin with Garlic and Anchovies

Omit the cheese and add 5-6 drained anchovy fillets with the garlic and cauliflower stems in the food processor.

Olive oil and Yogurt Béchamel Sauce

Many years ago I created a lighter version of béchamel, the ubiquitous and heavy sauce used in moussaka , pastitsio and other Greek dishes. I replace the butter base with olive oil and maintain the creamy consistency with 1 part yogurt to milk.  The recipe was published in the seventh revised edition of the all-time classic Joy of Cooking (1997), compiled by influential cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli.

Makes 2 cups

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

A combination 1 cup milk and 1 cup plain yogurt (not thick) or 2 cups whole milk

In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and flour and cook, stirring with a whisk, until frothy. Remove from the heat and continue stirring for 30 seconds. Add the milk and yogurt mixture, stir a few times, and place again over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until thickened. Remove from the heat and continue stirring a few more seconds.

The post Cauliflower Gratin with Garlic and Feta appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.