Hilde Lee: Cauliflower blooms in popularity as replacement for high-carb foods - The Daily Progress

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that looks pretty in the grocery store, but gets very little attention from shoppers. It makes a pretty table presentation when steamed, put on a serving plate and topped with a golden cheese sauce. Wonderful and tasty with slices of ham.

The food scientists have taken pity on the poor, neglected cauliflower and developed numerous food uses for it. Today, cauliflower is one of the fastest-growing food products because it is being used as a substitute for carbohydrates.

Cauliflower’s mild flavor has encouraged food scientists to substitute it for starches and dairy products in many shelf products such as pizza crust, gnocchi and vegan Gruyere cheese. It has become the basis of a long list of grocery shelf foods, including a type of rice.

Aldi, a discount grocery chain in Germany, started selling frozen cauliflower rice (small kernels of frozen cauliflower) in 2017 and recently reported that it is now the chain’s top-selling frozen item in Germany, as well as in their stores in this country. Aldi also introduced cauliflower tortilla chips and cauliflower gnocchi. Farmers, in this country as well as in Europe, have increased their acreage devoted to cauliflower to meet the demand.

More and more people are buying raw cauliflower. I recently purchased a head to make a new pasta recipe, which was based on some meat (I used chicken) and chunks of cauliflower and broccoli. (recipe follows). It was delicious, with a fresh and light taste.

Cauliflower-crust pizza is now available in the frozen food section of the grocery store. Cooked cauliflower has been added to hot food self-service bars, and fresh cauliflower has become a part of the salad bar.

Is cauliflower a new farm product? No. Cauliflower was a food of the ancient Romans, who got it from Asia Minor. However, it lost favor during the Dark Ages, and since it was not cultivated, it returned to its original cabbage form.

When the Moors invaded Spain in the ninth centur,y they brought cauliflower with them. The Spanish promptly regarded it as a homely plant — a cabbage that blooms like a flower. Cauliflower was regarded as an ornamental plant, except that it had one use. Small, perfect cauliflowers were often pressed into the décolletage of an unmarried Spanish maiden to call attention to her “natural endowments.”

Re-developed in the 17th century, cauliflower enjoyed a period of high-fashion cuisine, particularly at the French court. During the reign of Louis XV, a cauliflower dish was named for the king’s mistress, Madame du Barry.

In central and northern Europe, cauliflower was popular during the Lenten season, because it is a filling food. It has remained in favor in northern European countries and is widely consumed in India, where it is spiced with curry powder.

Cauliflower has been grown on Long Island since the 1620s. Today the growers use the same cultivation method as was developed in the Middle East 2,000 years ago. The growth of the cauliflower plant is watched scrupulously. When a small round rosette of green forms in the center of the plant, the outer leaves are gathered and drawn together in a loose pouch. The leaves continue to grow, as does the bud in the center. By harvest, a large, pure white head has formed, because it has grown without sunlight, sheltered by the pouch of leaves.

Mark Twain once said that cauliflower is a cabbage with a college education. He was not far from wrong, as cauliflower is a species of cabbage, just as is broccoli. Over the years, different parts of the cabbage plant have been developed until they became another vegetable. In cauliflower, the flowers were developed for eating. When picked, the flowers of the cauliflower have formed into a hard mass, while broccoli is harvested before the flowers have opened.

In the Middle Ages, early forms of cauliflower were associated with the island of Cyprus. The association continued, and the vegetable became known as the Cyprus colewort.

Because weather is a limiting factor in growing cauliflower, the plant does best in daytime temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees F. The cauliflower plant likes plenty of sunshine and moist soil. Long periods of sun exposure may cause the cauliflower head to have a red-purple hue.

When the cauliflower is mature, heads appear as clear white, compact, and 6 to 8 inches in diameter. They should be cooled shortly after harvesting. Forced air-cooling to remove heat from the field during hot weather may be needed for optimal preservation. Short-term storage is possible using cool, high-humidity storage conditions.

Cauliflower comes not only in white, but a multitude of colors. White with green leaves is the most common. There is also orange cauliflower, which contains beta-carotene. This mutation occurred in Canada.

Green cauliflower, sometimes called broccoflower. It also comes in a spiral head, called Romanesco broccoli. It has been available in the U.S. and Europe since the early 1990s.

Purple cauliflower is caused by the presence of anthocyannis, water-soluble pigments that are found in other plants like red cabbage.

Whatever the color, enjoy the “new” vegetable that has become the in-thing as rice and pizza crust.

The following recipe combines cauliflower and broccoli in a tomato sauce for a meatless entrée. Careful on the red pepper flakes. Try a few; you can always add some more.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Linguine

» 2 tablespoons olive oil

» 2 cups broccoli florets

» 2 cups cauliflower florets

» 1 clove garlic, minced

» 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

» ½ teaspoon salt

» ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

» ½ cup dry sherry or chicken broth

» 1 pound linguine or thin spaghetti, cooked, drained, kept warm

» ½ cup grated Romano cheese

» ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the broccoli, cauliflower and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the sherry. Simmer for 3 minutes. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add the vegetable mixture, cheese and cilantro. Toss to coat well. Serves 6.