It seems like every season we find a new vegetable to obsess over and try to perfect. First it was our home-grown heirloom tomatoes paired with fresh mozzarella and basil. Then with winter came brussel sprouts and some pretty delicious ways to use them (Momofuku-style with fish sauce and Steamy Kitchen's pairing with a cranberry pistachio pesto being our top two recipes). And now, our newest go-to veggie: cauliflower.
Cauliflower, like brussel sprouts, probably doesn't make its way to many dinner tables. My mom is a great cook but even I have to admit her cauliflower leaves much to be desired. Maybe I'm just more familiar with the more bland ways to prep them - sauteed or braised but I don't recall ever eating a cauliflower dish that didn't make me cringe.
When Ray decided to adopt the cauliflower into our kitchen rotation, I had to search long and hard for yummy recipes. We prefer a more dry method of cooking these winter veggies - oven roasting. Roasting brussels and cauliflower in the oven softens the veggies but also leaves a nice brown caramelization and crunch. This recipe has been the best so far - a winning combination of roasted cauliflower with pears for sweetness and pecans for texture.
Roasted Cauliflower | Pears, Sage, Pecans
adapted from Andrew Carmellini
Ingredients
6 Tbs. saffron oil
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets about 3/4 inch wide
1/2 cup toasted pecans
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Bosc pear, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together and arrange in a shallow baking dish lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently to allow for even browning of the florets.
