This week marks the official start of Cauliflower season at Terra Firma, which generally lasts from February 1st through the end of March -- expect to see it regularly in your boxes during this time. This is one of the hardest crops to grow that we farm.  While it is closely related to broccoli, it is far more picky about the conditions it grows in.  The soil must be very fertile, not too wet, and not too dry.  It doesn't like hot weather, but it develops diseases when it's too rainy.  There are hundreds of different varieties of cauliflower, but over the years we have found only three that actually work for us at Terra Firma, and we can't always get all three.

But the biggest problem with growing cauliflower is the potential to lose the crop to aphids, tiny insects that get inside the heads and make them unmarketable.  Cold weather tends to keep aphids under control, which is why we limit ourselves to growing it this time of year.  However, if the spring-like weather we're having continues, aphids could start flying in and we could lose the whole crop -- it's happened before.

You may ask "why bother taking the risk"?  Our answer is simple:  we love cauliflower, and we know many of our subscribers do too.  It's an amazing vegetable with so many different possibilities.  And grown this time of year, it is extremely mild and tender -- as those who love to eat it raw will immediately notice.  But it also has the ability when cooked to absorb flavors while retaining a crisp texture.  And of course it can be cooked until completely soft and pureed in a soup or sauce, where it has a creamy texture like potatoes but with a more complex flavor.

Cauliflower heads grows underneath "wrapper leaves" that protect the curds from the sun and keep them creamy white.  We leave some of these leaves on during the harvest and packing process to protect the head from bruising.

It's been too long since you've seen any Spinach in your boxes, but it's back today and there should be more next week. Spinach is generally ready to harvest less than two months, and we can plant it any time between Labor Day and Memorial Day.  But if it's constantly wet and rainy, like it was for two straight months from mid-November until mid-January, it causes a gap in our planting.  Too much rain can also cause the leaves to rot just before they are ready to pick.  And long cold spells like the one we had this year can slow down the growth of the plant.

We have a new spinach field that should be ready for harvest of baby leaves next week.  This week, we were able to harvest spinach from an old field that has grown new leaves.  They are not as tender as "baby spinach" but they are super-sweet due to the cold weather.  I recommend quickly sauteing them, but they would also make a tasty salad if chopped in pieces.

Recipe:  Cauliflower Spinach Bhaji
Cauliflower is an important vegetable in East Asian cuisine, where it is often sauteed first with spices and then cooked in a flavorful broth or sauce.  This is light dish, add cooked chickpeas to make it more substantial.

Clean and then thinly slice 2 leeks.  Trim 1 head of cauliflower and cut into florets, then cut the largest florets into halves or quarters -- bite-sized pieces.

Mince 2 cloves of garlic and fresh ginger to make 2 T.

 Saute the leeks in 3 T. vegetable oil on low heat until soft, then add the cauliflower and raise the heat.  When the cauliflower is beginning to soften, add the garlic and ginger along with 2 t. coriander, 1 t. turmeric, 1 t. cumin, and 1 t. cayenne pepper.  Cook until the cauliflower is nicely coated with the spice mixture and beginning to brown.

Add one 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes to the pan along with 1 1/4 C. vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, then simmer and add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Soak and drain 1/2 lb. spinach, then chop roughly.  Add to the pan and cook another 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is tender and the cauliflower cooked through.