I love cauliflower for its versatility. It’s happy in a warming stew like this one, one of my favorite North African tagines that I serve with couscous; or in a lasagna or any number of other pasta dishes, a frittata or pilaf, a gratin or a soup. It lends itself to curries and all things Italian, or adores a vinegary marinade. In one week I used it in a wonderful main dish salad with tuna, minced parsley and marjoram, a luxurious giant white beans from Rancho Gordo, and another, beautiful salad with carrots, mint, vinegar and olive oil. The humble vegetable can even be transformed into a vegetarian burger. I mashed it with potatoes and quinoa for some spiced patties that I coated with sesame seeds and served with Sriracha sauce.
In farmers markets and abroad you might find an array colorful varieties of cauliflower, such as purple cauliflower, dark yellow “cheddar cheese” cauliflower, and green romanesca (it’s called romanesca broccoli but it resembles cauliflower more than broccoli). If any of these varieties grabs your fancy at the farmers market or comes in your CSA basket, know that they can be used interchangeably with the more common white cauliflower.