I picked up a homegrown cauliflower head at the Market Square Farmer's Market on Wednesday. I have an interesting association with homegrown cauliflower: I think of Alaska. That's where my younger daughter, seven at the time, visiting her aunt Celia Hall, sampled her first cauliflower straight from the garden, and though she's a fanatically picky eater, has noshed on raw cauliflower with wild abandon ever since. This one I purchased is sweeter, with a more tender texture and less cabbage smell than even the palest supermarket version.
Still, having a whole one is daunting, so I offered half to a couple of cooking friends. No go, but Lindsay Beeson did help me find a great recipe (a cooking approach, really) so I could cook up the second half as a side dish. Ever since I tasted Anthony Fowler's browned, nutty--maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar?--cauliflower side at a fancy dinner at La Costa, I've been craving a homemade version. The experience didn't come close to having these morsels presented to you by a pleasant server on fancy china alongside delectable scallops, but my side (I used my favorites, thyme, garlic, and lemon) was still pretty darn tasty. Might have to get a second batch before the sun is sweltering and patty pan squash supplants the cauliflower here--Alaska is too far to go.
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