Dim Sum Sunday - Vegetables Part II - Roasted Cauliflower

My inspiration for second vegetable dish came from down south. Florida to be precise and this beautiful head of homegrown cauliflower.


It was grown (and photographed) by our good bloggy friend, Dani of Gardening Under the Florida Sun. I saw that cauliflower and said to my I want that. I want to cook and eat that. Luckily for Dani I live very far away. However the many local grocery stores where I live have plenty of cauliflower on hand for my dining enjoyment. But what would be the best way to enjoy it? I like raw cauliflower as a snack to bring to work. I enjoy it steamed and drizzled with curry butter. I wanted something new to try. So, as I often do, I sent a missive to my Culinary Godmother. She, as she often does, sent me many options for putting that head of cauliflower to good use. The first one was a Roasted Cauliflower Pasta (an amazing dish that I will be featuring on a Sunday soon). The only problem with the dish was not eating the cauliflower right out of the oven so it could make it into the pasta dish.

Roasted cauliflower uses the same method as the kale chips. Clean off the green leaves from your head of cauliflower (use them in your compost heap) and break up the florets into smaller bite size pieces. In a bowl, drizzle the florets with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and mix well. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, line your cookie sheet with parchment and spread your oil coated florets into a single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and pop into the oven for at least 20 minutes. Unlike the kale, overcooking will not ruin your cauliflower.

What you get is a revelation in simplicity and taste. I highly recommend eating them as soon as your tongue can take the heat because there is a lusciousness about the creamy sweet interior paired with the salty crunchy caramelized exterior that's hard to beat. This is why I enjoy blogging about food, the exploration of the simple things right before my eyes. Cauliflower has always been a part of my vegetable choices but it always lingered in the back of the line behind broccoli, asparagus and your basic salad. Because of the amazing flavor this preparation imparts I've eaten two heads of cauliflower in two days. Just like the kale chips, if you want you can add a squeeze of lemon or lime, roast some garlic cloves along with the florets or add a light sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. As for me, sorry kids, the only way you're getting roasted cauliflower at my house is if you're standing there at the oven door with me, fork at the ready because to me, it's better than candy.