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Cauliflower: That Is the Question

caul_above
October 4, 2011 By In eat me, sides

I have a particular peeve regarding cooks who regularly lament, “I love X but my husband hates it, so we never get to eat it anymore…”

I mean, I get it: you love to cook, and you love to cook for the one you love. I’m right there with you. But if you love to cook (and eat!) something the rest of the family has no interest in, well then, all the more for you from time to time. Unless they’re too short to reach the counter yet, they can get by on something they can fix for themselves if they’d rather abstain.

In my house, this kind of discussion leads directly to the cauliflower. I can’t say I’d dream about it at night if it were suddenly wiped out, but I like it. Well enough to snatch one up at my CSA this past weekend, even knowing that my husband would not touch a bite of the dastardly vegetable.

With a recipe that’s pretty much “Mix 3T olive oil and 1 T sweet curry in a bowl. Toss with one head cauliflower, and bake at 325˚F for 30 minutes, stirring half-way through,” no one needs to get very emotional over it. In the end, it’s just another bowl of fabulous looking vegetables: To be or not to be enjoyed.

Kohlrabi, or the German Turnip

kol_top
October 1, 2011 By In csa & vegetables, eat me, sides

I took a chance on the mysterious celeriac a couple weeks ago and, after preparing it, was quite pleased to have made such a delicious new vegetable discovery. Perhaps that’s why I was feeling a bit braver when the very next week my CSA presented me with another such opportunity: a bunch of apple-green kohlrabi.

When I got home, I realized that I knew so little about the vegetable that I had a tough time getting all the consonants in its name in a close-enough-to-correct order for Google to recognize it and point me in the direction of a few good recipes. Mostly, I turned up subtle variations on soups or slaws–both of which felt like a cop-out, somehow. It was as if, when in doubt, the answer was to shred or blend it into oblivion.

The night I actually got around to preparing it, however, I ended up going an even simpler route: peeling and cutting the bulbs into bite-sized chunks, de-ribbing and chopping up the leaves, and then sautéing them in separate batches with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper (plus a dusting of my favorite spice blend for such situations on the greens). It ended up being a great way to experience this new vegetable–a little bit cabbage, a little bit turnip, maybe a hint if broccoli stalk?–on its own. Mixed into a roasted vegetable and lentil salad later in the week, it also demonstrated that it plays quite well with others.

Corn, Coincidentally

corn_top
September 20, 2011 By In csa & vegetables, eat me, sides

I was actually eating what I was projecting would be my last tomato sandwich of the season when I came across Molly Wizenberg’s “Not a tomato sandwich” post. In what could be interpreted as summer sacrilege, she was advocating a break from the red, juicy goodness long enough to enjoy some spicy, buttery, tangy corn. As chance would have it, I, too, had a few ears of corn in the fridge that where looking for a purpose. All the cosmic signs, it seemed, were aligning.

After reading through Molly’s description–particularly the idea of making one’s kitchen smell like the state fair (in a good way!)–I didn’t need all that much convincing. I am a child of Ohio, after all, and corn ranks high on my list of summer pleasures. Plus, the amount of effort (a one-pan chop and stir) suited my energy level, and the rapidly multiplying hot peppers in the garden doubled down on the idea. Fifteen minutes later, I had the most amazing bowl of jalapeño- and lime-kicked kernels, caramelized in a warm butter-based coating. I pronounced it “vegetable as decadence” and got out the big spoon.

Who even needs popcorn or dessert when this is possible?

Matthew’s Spicy Sauteed Corn
Adapted by Orangette, originally from Spilled Milk

3 T. unsalted butter
Kernels from 3-4 ears fresh corn
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 T. water
Salt
1 T. lime juice (I added closer to 2 T., cause I was in the mood)

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it starts to bubble, add all the vegetables and stir to coat with butter (channel Paula Deen if this part starts to makes you nervous). Allow to cook and brown about 10 minutes, stirring a few times (though you want to let it sit in the pan long enough for some parts get a little crisp and brown–it’s tastier that way). Toss in the water and stir well, scrapping any stray corn bits off the bottom of the pan. Once the water has evaporated, take the skillet off the heat, add salt and lime juice, stir and serve! Expect any corn left in the pan to be eaten immediately by other family members, so take a big serving.