JoeBlog

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that I avoided for most of my life. My main memory is of largely tasteless florets in salads. As a kid, I thought of it as defective broccoli.

Then last a year a friend wrote about how she didn’t like cauliflower until she had it roasted with olive oil and salt. I had to try it. And I loved it. Now I actually crave cauliflower. Joe thinks I’ve gone crazy. I’ve always thought it a very pretty vegetable to start with, and it has a gorgeous texture that I think makes it fun to handle. The slices make lovely, whimsical trees. And now, I get to enjoy eating it too.

Roasted Cauliflower
Heat oven to — oh, say somewhere between 350 F and 400 F. Slice cauliflower about 1/8th to 1/4 inch thick. Uniformity in thickness is good, as that means an even cooking time. Toss with some olive oil and sea salt and, if you like, some freshly-ground black pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet and bake. At some point, flip the slices. I find on my thin metal sheet that the cauliflower browns on the bottom side, so beware; looks can be deceiving. Roast until it reaches the desired browness.

I have no idea how long it takes to cook. I’ve never timed it. I just check after 10-15 minutes to see if it needs flipping. The hotter your oven, the faster it will cook. I like a mix of crispy pieces and succulent pieces.

Kitchen Chick: Roasted Cauliflower.