Cathy Isom tells us all about some tasty ways to include Cauliflower in our next meal. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Cruciferous Cauliflower
Our consumption of cauliflower has remained very small for decades. The average American eats only about two pounds of cauliflower per year. Compare that to the 6 and a half pound of broccoli and 17 pounds of onions consumed on average per year.
Cauliflower is part of the cabbage and kale family and all of which are cruciferous, which basically means they have a lot of sulfur in them. Melanie Moore with USDA’s Marketing Service says that would account for the strong flavor and scent in the cooked cabbage and some of the flavor in the cooked cauliflower. Which may be one reason why they get a bit of bad rap or left off the menu altogether.
“But what you want to do is bring out some of that cruciferous flavor without overdoing it.”
In other words, don’t overcook. She suggests trying new ways to incorporate cauliflower into your meals, such as cauliflower rice.
“Crumble down the florets to make something with a rice-like texture that can be used in recipes where you use rice. So we’re going to do a really simple pilaf. We’re going to sautéed crumbled cauliflower in the pan with just some onion and garlic and some fresh parsley and some fresh carrots.”
Or you could make cauliflower meatballs. Even though it doesn’t taste like a meatball…
“but you can roast it in the oven with some parmesan cheese a little salt and pepper. Use it as a substitute for the meatballs in your spaghetti.”
For some great recipes using cauliflower, go online and search What’s Cooking USDA, and type in Cauliflower.
I’m Cathy Isom…