Same vegetable, different preps, very different tastes

Hi,

One of my final purchases from Von Bergen's Farmstand in Hebron, IL were two huge cauliflowers weighing over 5 pounds each purchased for $3 each. One cauliflower was immediately roasted and made into soup.

The second cauliflower was cut into 3 large pieces. One piece was roasted in the oven with olive oil and course sea salt for a solo dinner. After dinner, I decided to cook ahead for the next day. I steamed a two pound section for Penne with Cauliflower, Garlic and Oil adapted from Marcella Hazan's More Classic Italian Cooking.

While I like cauliflower, I was getting a bit tired of having to think what to do next with cauliflower. I needed a holiday away, though I still had a 2-pound chunk in my refrigerator. I decided to roast it like the night before and top the Penne with Cauliflower with roasted cauliflower. The two cooking styles produced such contrasting taste and tactile experiences, my family kept inquiring if this was indeed the same vegetable. Not only was it the same vegetable, it was from the very same stalk. They poked and prodded their meal a few more times, then really dug in.

Lunch was certainly full of conversation this day, especially over the pedigree of the lunch itself.

Regards,

Cauliflower in particular is one of those vegetables that can be many different things: it's good raw, lightly cooked and cooked to mush. It would never have occurred to me to put different takes on the same item together, though: it sounds like a delicious meal.

I love cauliflower and will definitely try this the next time I have an overabundance. Thanks for sharing, Cathy2!

Suzy