Cauliflower

Description: Another brassica which, with careful selection of varieties and planting times, can produce a crop pretty much year-round. The edible white heart is made up of tiny florets but dont disregard the leaves as these are edible as well. Occasionally in the boxes you might come accross some unusual varieties such as purple headed ones and even the alien looking Romanescu varieties which have pale green florets arranged in pointed swirls.

In Season: March - December

Preparation: Divide the head into manageable sized florets and score the base with a sharp knife in the shape of a cross. Fill a saucepan with about 1 inch of water and add a little lemon juice. Bring to the boil and then add the florets, preferabley with only the stems submerged in the water, put a lid on the saucepan and boil gently for 10 minutes. The cauliflower can then be served as it is or with a white or parsley sauce, or you could cover in a cheese sauce with grated cheese on top and bake for good old cauliflower cheese. Can also be eaten raw or deep-fied in batter as a crudite.

Recipe: Spinach and Cauliflower Bhaji
1 Cauliflower
500g Spinach
4 tbsp Vegetable oil or ghee
2 large onions
2 cloves garlic
1" piece of root ginger
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
400g (tin) chopped tomatoes
300ml vegetable stock
Divide cauliflower into small florets and remove stalks from spinach leaves. Chop the onions. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions and cauliflower for 3 minutes over a low heat, stirring continuously. Crush the garlic and add to the saucepan along with the ginger (chopped) and spices. Stir in and continue to cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock plus a little salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the spinach to the saucepan and stir in then cover the pan and simmer gently for a further 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.