Wednesday, January 31, 2007

C is for Cauliflower Crunch

C is for Cauliflower, still. I have been industrious with this cloudlike vegetable. I tried this recipe sent in by Ariannina and her Italian mama Grazia.
"Trim a cauliflower in florets and stem it for about 10 min. Meanwhile, chop 2/3
fat cloves of garlic and mix it with 200g breadcrumbs, a good handful of
parsley, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, white pepper and a pinch of chilli. Lay the
cauliflower in a tin, season with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and then
top with the breadcrumb
mix. Bake in the oven at 190C for about 20 min til
golden brown."
We all enjoyed it - Freddie loved it and we ate it with ham. Cauliflower is such an easy vegetable to prepare and use. Not one of those high-maintenance creations like an artichoke or a sensitive creature like an asparagus tip. We were looking for snacks to munch in front of film. And this is what we created,Cauliflower Crunch.
 
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Cauliflower Crunch
Take a cauliflower head, remove the stalkiest bits and break up into small popcorn sized florets. In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir round so that the oil evenly coats the cauliflower florets. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of smoked paprika and mix round with a spoon so that all of the cauliflower is coated. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top. When the florets are well covered in the oil and paprika, lay them out on a lightly greased baking sheet. They should be well spread out and not piled on top of each other. Put in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes. Ten minutes in turn them over with a spoon. The trick is to cook them until they crisp up but make sure they don't burn.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:23 AM

    It isn't a cauliflower recipe but the vegetable does begin with 'C'.

    Courgette and thyme soup

    Margarine or oil for frying
    1 onion, finely chopped
    1 medium potato, finely chopped
    3 or 4 large courgettes
    1 dessert spoon of fresh thyme leaves
    10 fl oz of chicken or vegetable stock
    10 fl oz of milk

    Fry the onion and potato over a medium heat until the onion is transparent. Add the courgettes, stir and fry gently for a few minutes.

    Add the stock, thyme and check for salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool a little and then liquidise.

    Good with buttered toast or crusty bread.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:27 AM

    I should have written that the courgette is also meant to be chopped...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous11:42 AM

    Miranda - thank you for this - courgette will be next after celeriac.
    I will try this out then - thank you. Where are you from>

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous2:09 PM

    I live in north Lincolnshire, gbvc.

    Hope you enjoy the soup. My step mother made it up herself and I think it's very good.

    Celeriac is nice mashed with potatoes. Makes them really creamy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous12:36 AM

    Oh, I think it's a shame to move on to courgettes next. It would be nice nod to all of your devoted readers in the US if you concluded your A-Z of vegetables triumphantly with zucchini. I can't think of any other z vegetables.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8:41 AM

    Sarah - I knew this would present a transatlantic dilemma....
    I think I may have to be terribly diplomatic and do courgette/zucchini twice with such verve that no one complains..
    What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12:28 AM

    I think you could certainly find enough recipes for the green summer squash to do it twice. In the summer my husband and I often eat it sauted in olive oil with garlic and sprinkled with basil and lemon juice. We then toss it with spaghetti and generous amounts of fresh parmesan cheese and a little more olive oil for good measure. Yum. This goes really well with a caprese salad. I love fresh summer vegetables. Another good reason to conclude with zucchini! Perhaps you'll be getting to them when they're in season.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It really looks yummy. I will definitely try it. Keep posting more veg dishes.

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    ReplyDelete

We always love to read your comments - thank you