Going back to cauli, sautéeing, puréeing
What’s in season: A member of the cabbage family and a close relative of broccoli, cauliflower gets its name from the Latin caulis (“stalk”) and floris (“flower”). While you can typically find white cauliflower all year in supermarkets, the vegetable is generally in season from the winter months into late spring and can be found in colors ranging from pale orange and green to bright violet. Romanesco cauliflower, a pale green cauliflower originally from northern Italy, is known for its spiraling, cone-shaped florets.
What to cook: Cooked briefly, cauliflower has a robust, grassy personality that pairs well with big flavors. Add raw or briefly blanched florets to salads for flavor and crunch, or sauté it briefly for a simple side. Slice the head into thick wedges and grill or pan-fry as “steaks,” and serve over romesco sauce for an elegant and vegetarian main course. Slow, gentle cooking brings out cauliflower’s sweet notes, mellowing the vegetable. Simmer the florets to use as a base for soups, roast florets on their own or with other winter vegetables for a rustic side, or purée the tender vegetable with cream and butter to use as a low-carb version of mashed potatoes. Save the leaves from the vegetable, sauté the assertive greens and serve over polenta with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
What’s on the horizon: Chard, generally in season from late winter to early spring, is beginning to show up at stands.