One can only eat so many pastries, pizzas and plates of pasta before a craving for fresh veggies hits. That’s what happened to me last Saturday, and so I decided to (safely) do something about it.
After going on a socially distanced walk around the neighborhood and lingering over a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast in the kitchen, I headed to the College of San Mateo Farmers’ Market to replenish my crisper drawer. (Tip: Many farmers’ markets remain open for business and offer access to a bounty of seasonal and local produce, without a long wait!)
The trip was a success and I came home with two heads of cauliflower, one small butternut squash, red springs onions and flat-leaf parsley. As you probably guessed, I immediately put the Brassica oleracea to use.
The beauty of this whole roasted cauliflower dish is that it’s extremely easy to prepare. Simply parboil cauliflower, slather it with butter and olive oil, and sprinkle on flake salt. After an hour and a half in the oven, the stunning starter or side will be done. Serve whole roasted cauliflower straight up or with a generous squeeze of lemon for acidity.
Recipe adapted from Simple.
- 2 small heads cauliflower
- 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1¼ teaspoons flake salt
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place 1 head of cauliflower, stem side up, in the pot and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, stem side down, and repeat with second head of cauliflower. Let cauliflower sit for 10 minutes and drain any liquid that has accumulated in the baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter and olive oil. Spread the mixture over the top of the cauliflower and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is caramelized and fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
