Yotam Ottolenghi is the superstar of vegetable cooking. He is one of my culinary idols as I love his sense of creativity and uniqueness. I have selected to do an in-depth study of his cooking style and will be sharing it with you. Stay tuned for some fantastic farm fresh ideas coming your way!
This week I made his Cauliflower, Grape and Cheddar Salad. I had the cutest little head of cauliflower from my Talley Farms CSA box that was perfect for a two portion salad. The recipe is for four servings, but was easily cut in half. It is a mix of several varieties of texture and flavor; a contrast of sweet, savory and tartness all working together in harmony. It is light, fresh, colorful and makes a great side salad for any meal!
I loved the way that all of the flavors worked together to create a harmony in my mouth. It was simple and simply delicious!
-
1 large head cauliflower broken into bite sized florets
-
6 tablespoons sunflower or other light oil
-
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
-
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
-
1/2 teaspoon honey
-
1/4 cup raisins
-
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly crushed
-
2/3 cup seedless red grapes, halved
-
3 oz aged Cheddar cheese, coarsely crumbled
-
2/3 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
-
salt and black pepper
-
Preheat oven to 425°
-
Toss the cauliflower florets with half of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
-
To make the dressing, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons oil with the vinegar, mustard, honey and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the raisins and let them marinade for at least 10 minutes.
-
Just before serving, transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl and add the hazelnuts, grapes, Cheddar and parsley. Pour the raisins and dressing over the top, toss together, transfer to a large platter, and serve.
(click here) for printable recipe