I got given this handsome beast. And whilst they may not translate beautifully into ears – this one gave me the opportunity to yin and yang in the kitchen.
Soothing cauliflower cheese and spicy cauliflower curry, both with tomatoes, of course !
For the cauliflower cheese I instinctively turned to Margueritte Patten, confident her white sauce would be as reliable as her always having a clean, white, handkerchief about her person. And for the curry, to Gail Duff’s Vegetarian Cookbook. Something about the cauliflower requires that the cook not ask anything of it that dates later than the 1970s.
So for the cauliflower cheese ( for a whole cauli)
Break the cauliflower into small florets and cook for 5 minutes in boiling water. Slice lots of tomato very thinly ( I say lots as I used too few – not a mistake I often make).
Heat 1 1/2 oz. of butter in a pan, stir in 1 1/2 oz. of plain flour to make a roux. Gradually add 3/4 pint of milk, stirring continuously and bring to the boil. (I found my squared off wooden spoon a great ally in this process). Keep stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Stir in 40z of grated cheddar till it’s all melted in. I used cheap and cheerful and it was lovely. I can only imagine with a tangy, expensive cheddar it would be lucious. Put the cooked cauliflower in a gratin dish, pour over the sauce. Lay the sliced tomato over the top and then sprinkle with 2oz of grated cheddar. 30 minutes in a 200c oven and out will come a bubbling dish that will have you grinning from ‘ear to ear’.
For the curry take 1 cauliflower broken into florets, 1 thinly sliced onion, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon of ground tumeric and 2 teaspoons of curry powder ( heat to your liking) and add to a pan where 3 tablespoons of olive oil has been warming on a low heat. Stir, put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 pint of stock and 1 tablespoon of tomato puree. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1/2lb of skinned tomatoes ( I used Black Cherry – halved) and heat them through. (Although the phone rang before I’d added the tomatoes and whilst I thought I’d turned the heat off, in fact whilst I talked, it simmered away for 45 minutes – and was delicious and tender – so may be a bit longer for the cauliflower bit might be better.)
