by Diane Sagers
CORRESPONDENT
Venez mon petit chou-fleur," is an endearing French phrase meaning "Come, my little cauliflower." What a sweet way to speak to your beloved!
While "little cauliflower" may not be the endearing phrase of choice between American sweethearts, the vegetable itself has become much more popular in our culinary world than in years past. The vegetable has been available here since the late 1600s, but it was sometimes viewed here with a jaundiced eye. Mark Twain once remarked, "Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education."
Catherine de Medici, a member of a very rich and influential Italian family thought otherwise. She loved cauliflower and its kissin' cousin broccoli. When she became the queen of France by marrying Henry II, she demanded these vegetables grace her royal French plate often. After all, she was the queen and so she was also a trendsetter. Others in the French court took to the vegetable and eventually its popularity spread to other areas of Europe.
Cauliflower is aptly named because the nubby white portion we eat is actually composed of the flower buds that, left to grow would emerge as open blossoms. Some older varieties of the plant would have been greenish in color except that the leaves were pulled up around the head to keep the sun away and bleach it. Horticulturists went to work to develop varieties that would stay white without the labor-intensive process of workers bent over in the fields tying up leaves. We loved our white cauliflower and it became the expected standard.
Now we have come full circle. "Designer" vegetables have become chic in culinary circles and we are looking for new, more colorful options in all our vegetables. Nowadays, fancier salad bars may include purple or green cauliflower heads. (Wait a minute. Wasn't all that effort to hybridize and tie up heads to keep them from turning green?) The "new" green heads are reputed to be more tender and tasty than those that the field hands were bleaching by pulling leaves over them.
The purple cauliflower came about as a spontaneous mutation someone found in a field during some breeding work in Denmark. The growers selected it, re-planted and tested it and found that the color properties are very stable. Cook it and it turns green. The purple color is due to the formation of anthocyanins, the same antioxidants found in red cabbage and red wine. Anthocyanins are among the antioxidants that doctors recommend for cancer prevention and heart health. The good news is that all members of the Brassica family -- broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts -- contain various antioxidants that may help prevent cancer. That knowledge has made them even more popular.
The vegetable tastes pretty much the same as the white version -- it just makes a colorful statement on your dinner or salad plate.
The broccoflower is another variation formed from crossing broccoli and cauliflower. The resultant offspring looks like a cauliflower, but it is yellow-green in color and the flavor lies somewhere between broccoli and cauliflower.
Cauliflower is great for dieters. A cup of raw cauliflower provides only 25 calories, but is high in vitamin C, another antioxidant. It also provides reasonable quantities of other nutrients for a healthy diet.
It is easy to store and will keep fresh in the crisper of a refrigerator for two to three weeks. It lends itself to boil, steam, stir-fry or sauté, braise or stew, deep fry, pressure cook or microwave, and it is commonly served raw.
Cauliflower Neapolitan
1 head cauliflower
1 cup plain bread crumbs
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cube butter
Salt
Pepper
Separate cauliflower into flowerets and cook in boiling salted water. Drain. Butter a casserole dish generously with half the butter (up the sides and on the bottom of the casserole dish). Dust the casserole dish with half the bread crumbs (up the sides as well). Add cauliflower -- seasoned with salt and pepper to taste -- and sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs. Dot with remaining butter and mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. The casserole may be made ahead and refrigerated before baking.
Creamy Vegetables Au Gratin
1 10 3/4 ounce can cream of onion soup
1 cup (4 ounces) process American cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cauliflower cooked tender-crisp and drained
1 9-ounce package frozen peas and carrots cooked and drained
1 13-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2 cup stove top type stuffing mix, seasoned
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
In a bowl, combine soup, cheese, mayonnaise and milk and mix well. Fold in cauliflower, peas, carrots and mushrooms. Turn into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Melt margarine in saucepan. Stir in bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered at 357 degrees 35 to 45 minutes or until heated through.
This dish can be heated in a microwave for about eight to 10 minutes or until heated through. The topping will not be as crisp as heating in an oven.
Cheesy Cauliflower Micro-bake
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
Grated American cheese (or other favorite) to taste
Spread cauliflower florets over a glass pie plate. Sprinkle grated cheese of choice over cauliflower and heat until cauliflower is fork-tender and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.