The Houndstooth Gourmet

 Sunday morning’s early clouds gave way to sunshine as we arrived at the Dupont Farmers Market. The market was crowded early with many patrons looking to get just the right size and type of turkey for Thanksgiving from vendors such as Cibola Farms and Eco-Friendly Farms. In fact, all of the stalls seemed stacked with the freshest and most colorful produce one coud imagine. Perhaps it’s indicitive of the season in of itself, when we are as a nation are preparing to celebrate abundance.
What particularly caught my eye (Besides Chef Baron Seaver of Hook restaurant in Georgetown, being followed by a camera crew) were the many different types of cauliflower available. Besides larger than life heads of traditional white cauliflower, I spied stunning purple and orange cauliflower, as well as Romanesco cauliflower, which is green and conically shaped.
Cauliflower is the same species as kale, broccoli, cabbage and collard greens. Some of these vegetables are grown to eat the florets and others are grown to eat the leaves. Cauliflower leaves are cabbage-like but I have yet to utilize them raw or cooked.
Cauliflower tolerates and even thrives in cool climates but unlike kale, it can be ruined by hard frost.
Purple cauliflower gets its’ color from anthocyanin, an antioxident which protects the cauliflower from free radical UV damage. This protective property is transfered to the organism which consumes the cauliflower, making this beautifully colored vegetable a nutritional powerhouse. Anthocynin is also found in berries, dark legumes and red cabbage. Oh, and red wine too. When cooking, avoid going past “al dente” and add a bit of acid (lemon juice, for example) to the water when blanching it to retain the vibrant color.
Orange cauliflower contains large amounts of vitamin A and beta-carotine. It is a mutation of white cauliflower found growing in a field in Canada neary 40 years ago. It’s taste is milder than white cauliflower.

Romanesco cauliflower is a visually stunning light green vegetable which looks like a cross between cauliflower and broccoli. Full of phytonutrients, Romanesco is also milder and sweeter than white cauliflower and is available September through November.

Many people roast caulifower in the oven and use it in place of starches such as mashed potatoes and french fries. If you’ve never tried it, I bet you would be amazed at the change if flavor and texture. It truly satisfies like a carb. I place florets on a foil lined pan, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat. The cauliflower gets placed in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until brown. You won’t believe what you smell as it cooks.

Enjoy, and support your local markets!

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Tags: District of Columbia, Washington, low carb, cauliflower, farmers markets //