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November 30, 2012
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Vol. IV, No. 24
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From now through March, cauliflower will be at its best in your local supermarket. If you claim to not like it, you may have had the misfortune to encounter it when overcooked, and not delicious. To preserve its fresh, nutty flavor, saut� it for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, or bake it in a hot oven to tease out its sweetness.
In fact, cauliflower pairs beautifully with a wide range of other Mediterranean ingredients including mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, capers, peppers, plain yogurt, and Parmesan and feta cheeses. And to simply change up the taste, drizzle it with flavor-infused olive oil (try lemon, chili, rosemary, or mandarin) and experiment with fresh or dried herbs, too. It's also a very versatile ingredient. Mash some cooked cauliflower as a stand-in for potatoes, or chop and add it to soups and stir-frys.
Cauliflower delivers a fine, plant-based nutritional boost to any meal. It's an excellent source of Vitamin C, and shares the good-for-you attributes of its other family members: broccoli, kale, cabbage and collards.
When you shop for cauliflower, choose heads that are clean looking and creamy white. (And keep an eye out for colors - orange, green, and purple!) Avoid heads with a dusting of black, a sign of age. Stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, a whole, fresh head will keep for up to a week after you bring it home. If you buy pre-cut cauliflower, use it within a day or two.
Here are three easy ways to make cauliflower part of your weekday meals this winter.
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Cauliflower with Chickpeas 
Here's an easy and economical weeknight meal you can prepare in less than 30 minutes. Add a can of tuna or some leftover, cooked, diced chicken if you wish. You can also substitute broccoli for the cauliflower. Serve with couscous, brown rice, or barley.
Photo: iStockphoto
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Cauliflower makes a great ingredient for soup. Roasting it with portobello mushrooms and red bell pepper creates a rich caramelized flavor. Serve with whole grain bread or rolls. Store any leftover soup for up to three days.
Photo courtesy of McCormick
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When roasted in the oven at a high temperature, cauliflower becomes delightfully sweet.
Drizzle it with a flavored olive oil (lemon, chili, or rosemary) after cooking to add extra flavor.
Photo: iStockphoto
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Fresh Fridays is a bi-weekly celebration of Mediterranean eating and living. We hope our Friday recipes will remind you just how easy and delicious eating the Mediterranean way can be.
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