How to choose the best cauliflower

Plus, a recipe for simple roasted cauliflower.|

If cauliflower had never evolved and were to suddenly appear in our markets as a new invention, what a frenzy it would cause. “Gorgeous white vegetable.” “The most refined flavor of any member of the cabbage family.” “A miracle.”

But of course, cauliflower is as familiar as potatoes. It always seems to be in season. People steam it and serve it forth, skirting its wide range of possibilities as a foodstuff.

The reason it’s always in season is that growers down in Salinas, which produces a large share of the cauliflower grown in this country, stagger plantings throughout the year in the cool, mild climate there. That means the harvests — anywhere from three to 10 months after planting the seeds — are also staggered.

Also, cauliflower is grown hydroponically in places where the weather isn’t as perfect as in Salinas, “the world’s salad bowl.” That way, it can be grown in hot states like Arizona, Florida and Texas as well as cool states like Michigan, New York, Oregon and Washington.

The fresh cauliflower heads now in season most likely come from seeds planted in April, typically a strong month for planting the vegetable.

Cauliflower would be green if it were grown in full sun, so growers tie its long, wide outer leaves up over the emerging heads when they’re about 2 or 3 inches in diameter. This shades and blanches the heads so they have that nice white appearance. There are colored varieties, including purple and orange, but they too need to be covered from direct sun.

Cauliflower is a member of the cabbage family, also called “cole” crops, a word derived from Latin caulis, meaning stem or stalk. You can hear the word cole rattling around in the names of cabbage members such as kale, kohlrabi, collards and cauliflower, and in the term coleslaw.

“Flower” in cauliflower means the head is a young and incompletely developed flower head. When selecting cauliflower at the market, make sure the head is tightly packed. If it has begun to “rice,” that is, the tiny florets are beginning to separate and look like a pot of cooked rice, it’s past its prime and is becoming bitter. If any of the rice-like grains has popped open into a little flower, it's well past its prime. Avoid any heads that are soft or have brown or black areas, and pass up white varieties with heads that have started to turn yellow.

A final word of caution: Avoid heads with small green leaves protruding here and there among the florets. That means the plant is responding to warm temperatures by reverting to vegetative growth, with corresponding bitterness, as opposed to growing masses of sweet flower heads.

You want heads picked as close as possible to the day they’re sold in the market. One way to tell is to look for heads that have at least some part of their leaves attached. Take one of these leaves and snap its midrib in two. If it breaks with an audible snap and isn’t soft and flaccid, you know it’s fresh.

Cabbage family members are also called crucifers, named for the four petals of their flowers that form a cross. Cauliflower is particularly rich in vitamin C, and like its cousins in the family, is full of nutrients that may help prevent cancer.

The delicate flavor of cauliflower makes it perfect for pairing with more flavorful ingredients like cheese, pepper, cumin, garlic, lemon, mustard, nutmeg, anchovies and bacon. Make a batter of two egg whites beaten stiff, ½ cup of white wine and ½ cup of all-purpose flour, all gently heated in the top of a double boiler, and add any of the flavorful ingredients you like. Slice a head of cauliflower into several inch-thick slices, drizzle with olive oil, lay them in a pan, top with the batter and bake in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.

Boiling a head of cauliflower too vigorously or for too long will turn it to smelly mush. So be gentle, gentle readers, and enjoy cauliflower brought to excelsis. This vegetable is superb served with lobster or scallops.

Roasted Cauliflower Head

Makes 4 or 5 servings

2 quarts almond milk

1 whole head fresh white cauliflower

Extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch sea salt

¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium pot, bring the almond milk to a gentle simmer.

Remove any leaves, leaf stumps or stem from the cauliflower head.

Add the trimmed cauliflower head to the pot and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

Drain the cauliflower head and set it in an ovenproof cast-iron Dutch oven bottom or similar ovenproof container, floret side up. Drizzle the white florets with olive oil.

Roast the cauliflower head in its container for 20 minutes, sprinkle the top of the florets with the pinch of salt and the cheese and roast for another 5 minutes.

Slice head into 4 or 5 wedges. Serve hot.

Jeff Cox is a Kenwood-based food and garden writer. Reach him at jeffcox@sonic.net.

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