Okay, so cauliflower isn’t on the top of your marketing list. You probably don’t have a plethora of recipes for preparing it in your notebook. Well maybe just one; the one with cheese sauce on it. And you certainly couldn’t imagine your family being served this sub variety of broccoli several days a week. After reading this article you just might reconsider. It is great in soups, salads, pasta, casseroles, and in stir-fries. Cauliflower can also be served as a side dish or as the major ingredient in entrees like quiche.

A Heady History

Cauliflower is a member of one of the seven sub-cultivars of Brassica oleracea, the wild mustard plant. The Botrytis Group, or sub-cultivar, includes cauliflower, Romanesco broccoli and broccoflower. Other members of the Brassica family include brussels sprouts, kale, rutabagas, turnips, kohlrabi and radishes.

Wild mustard varieties are of North Middle East origin and have been cultivated for thousands of years. Over time, the wild mustard was bred into many cultivars that today hardly resemble each other or the original wild mustard.

Cauliflower was probably first grown by the Ancient Greeks but became very popular with the Romans, and later, the Italians. It wasn’t until the 1500s that the French became enamored with it. And so with France went the rest of Europe. It was first grown in North America in the late 1600s.

Varieties

There are four major groups of cauliflowers:

First and most importantly is the Italian group. They are diverse in appearance and come in biennial and annual types. These include the common white varieties, Romanesco and various green, purple, brown and yellow cultivars. This is the ancestral group from which all others were derived.

There is the Northwest European biennial group, which is used in Europe for winter and early spring harvest. It developed in France during the 19th century. It includes the old cultivars Roscoff and Angers.

The Northern European annual is another group. It was cultivated in Europe and North America for summer and fall harvest. It was developed in Germany in the 18th century and includes the old cultivars Erfurt and Snowball.

Lastly, there is the Asian group. It is a tropical cauliflower and is grown in China and India.

All in all, there are hundreds of cultivars in all shapes and colors.

Some common varieties grown in California include Snowball, Snow Crown, Mayflower, Snow White and Snow Grace. Ninety percent of cauliflower grown in California is white varieties. Different cultivars have different growing seasons.

A few of the pigmented varieties include Cheddar - which is orange, Purple Cape, Panther - which is lime green and Romanesco – which is green.

A Vegetable Medicine Cabinet

Cauliflower, like the other cruciferous vegetables, contains phytochemicals, called indoles, which stimulates enzymes that block cancer growth. It also contains glucosinolates and thiocyanates, substances that help increase the liver's ability to detoxify. Another benefit is Sulforaphane, a substance cauliflower contains that encourages the liver to produce enzymes that can remove cancer-causing chemicals. Sulforaphane can also stop the spread of cancer cells, even in the later stages of their growth.

Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables also contain indole-3-carbinol, which can affect the metabolism of estrogen and help prevent breast and ovarian cancer.

Cauliflower is thought to also help with kidney and bladder disorders, asthma, high blood pressure, arthritis, bad complexion and constipation. To maximize its benefits benefits consume your cauliflower raw or steam lightly.

Cooking Tips

Cauliflower can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, deep-fried, roasted or eaten raw. To prepare: cut the head in half, remove leaves, carve out the stem and then breakdown the halves into small florets about an inch across. The most important tip is not to over cook it. Steaming or boiling usually takes less than a minute. I personally like a trick that I just learned. Slice the florets into quarter inch slices then toss with olive oil and sea salt and roast for a couple of minutes in a 375°F oven.

Cauliflower pairs well with almonds, bacon, breadcrumbs, cheese, cream, curry, ham, mushrooms, nutmeg, parsley and tomato sauce. I’m sure that with a slight amount of creativity you can cajole your family into being a “head” in the health game. Remember Mark Twain said, “A cauliflower is nothing more than a cabbage with a college education.” Now that’s a smart vegetable.

Coconut Cauliflower Soup with Red Curry

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 large carrot peeled and diced small (1 cup)

1 tbsp. Thai red curry paste (not actually a curry – can be purchased in most large grocery stores)

2 c. vegetable or chicken broth

1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz.)

1 tsp. rice wine vinegar

1 small head cauliflower, prepared as recommended above (6 cups)

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion and carrot over medium heat until tender. Add the Thai red curry paste, stock, coconut milk, vinegar and cauliflower. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Cauliflower should be very tender. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Puree in a blender in batches, then return to soup pot and heat before serving. Serve with lime wedges and rice crackers.

Yield: 8 to 10 cups – serves 8 to 10 Cauliflower and Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Now this is a savory dish that I serve as a first course or side dish but it could be served as a dessert course. But forget the ice cream. By the way my family raved about this one. Ingredients: 1 pie shell

½ head cauliflower, florets sliced into ¼ inch slices (2 cups)

2 apples, cored and sliced

3 eggs

¾ c. half and half

¼ tsp. nutmeg

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Pre-bake pie shell at 400°F until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Roast cauliflower and apple slices separately. Spray with vegetable spray sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Beat eggs with half and half and nutmeg. Place roasted cauliflower and half of the apple slices in the pie shell evenly. Pour custard mixture over cauliflower and apples. Top with grated cheese. Arrange remaining apples slices on top of cheese. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F.

Serves 6 to 8