Let a hundred cauliflowers bloom

What brought me to cook this for the page was stumbling across these perfect little cauliflowers in the local vegetable shop. These, roasted with a knob of butter and a good pinch of salt, were quite possibly the nicest thing I’ve eaten this winter. The intensity of flavour was incredible. And the outside leaves, which are usually discarded in bigger heads, caramelised perfectly. These leaves also protected the cauliflower as it cooked, retaining the moisture and allowing the flavour to develop.

I followed this recipe again the next day, roasting these little gems in the same fashion. Once roasted,

I cut them in half and returned them to the oven with a large slab of Taleggio. It was a euphoric, pre-heart attack moment.

Tahini, yoghurt and cumin seed are a regular combination at home. It’s one that has often got me out of jail. I’ve always got tahini and yoghurt in the fridge, and it goes as well with carrots as a leg of lamb. The tahini and yoghurt sauce in this recipe could stand up as a dip on its own, if you like dips. For the record: I don’t.

When I think about it, tahini is probably one of the most useful things I have in the fridge. I use it in the obvious: humus, yoghurts, various other dressings. Tahini also crosses over into Asian cooking, where I will often make a cold salad of shredded chicken tossed with chilli oil and spring onions and then smothered with a tahini-based sauce. To make the sauce I take a tablespoon of tahini, a teaspoon of soy, lemon juice to taste and a pinch of sugar. I stir this and thin with water until it reaches a pouring consistency. Cold rice noodles make a good final addition.

But back to cauliflower: cook this before the season’s over. You won’t regret it. If baby cauliflowers aren’t available, find the smallest cauliflower you can, quarter it, and prepare the same way. Romanesco broccoli, if available, would also work.