cauliflower love

Hello!

So sorry this recipe post and schedule didn’t get to you Sunday.

Schedule for this week

January 25 Roasting at 530 pm on Facebook live

January 28 Philly fresh market 1230 pm on Facebook live

January 29 LIVE cooking demo with produce from Philly Market

January 31 drawing for chefs dinner for eight 6pm Facebook live

February 1 reading labels 530pm on Facebook live

If you are planning to make everything here go to the bottom for a grocery list.

Work list for the 25th

Tomatoes

Cauliflower

Grains (steaming)

Garlic (again)

Squash or sweet potatoes (overnight)

Cashew cream

Recipes

“Cream” of cauliflower soup

Cashew cream

Cauliflower mash

Sundried tomatoes

Sundried tomato garlic aioli

Millet pudding

Cream of Cauliflower Soup   

2 large heads cauliflower or 3 small ones

1lb Yellow potatoes

1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) plus two TB for shallots

1 cup shallots in a fine dice

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups Cashew or almond cream * see below

¼ tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp of cayenne

1 ½  tsp Herbamare or 1 tsp sea salt flakes

½ tsp of white pepper

Clean cauliflower and break into florets. Put florets in large baking pan and toss lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with Herbamare. Put in 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until cauliflower is browned. Clean and dice potatoes. Put in small saucepan and simmer in vegetable stock till cooked through but not soft. Sautee shallots till browned in extra evoo. Puree all ingredients together until blended and check seasoning. Can serve hot or cold. Can top with tomato pesto if desired.

Cashew Cream

Raw cashews (MUST be completely raw. You can use bits and pieces which are cheaper)

Fresh spring water to cover by several inches

Soak overnight or do a quick soak method by bringing water to a boil, pouring over cashews and letting sit for 20 minutes. Drain and puree in blender or vita mix with fresh spring water. The more water you add the more weak your cashew cream will be.  Add seasonings as desired.

My favorite combo is a pinch of sea salt, nutmeg, cayenne and a little agave nectar.

Cauliflower Mash and Gravy

2 large heads Cauliflower

¼ cup EVOO

2 – 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes

½ cup cashew cream

5 TB vegan margarine

2 tsp Herbamare

1 tsp White pepper

3 TB Blue corn meal (or regular or gluten free flour)

3 cups Vegetable stock

¼ cup Roasted onion

8 Roasted garlic cloves

Roast florets of cauliflower tossed with EVOO and seasonings in 400 degree oven till brown and crispy, about 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile boil potatoes till soft and mash cauliflower and potatoes with 2 TB smart balance and ½ cup cashew cream.  Make roux with remaining vegan margarine and blue corn meal or flour. Cook till toasty golden then add vegetable stock, roasted onion, and mashed garlic cloves. Cook till thickened.

Millet and Polenta Sweet Potato Porridge

½ cup millet or white quinoa

½ to 2/3rds cup polenta or oat flour coarse grind

3 cups organic apple juice

One medium sweet potato – cooked, peeled & mashed

¼ to ½ cup agave or coconut sugar or white cranberry juice concentrate

½ cup organic Raisins, cranberries or tart cherries

½ tsp Nutmeg

1 TB vegan margarine (optional)

Bring 3 cups organic apple juice to a high simmer. Add millet or white quinoa and cook for 15 minutes then add polenta and whisk in.  Add cooked sweet potato, raisins, agave and nutmeg and stir constantly for fifteen minutes. Finish with vegan margarine as desired.

Little Gray Farmhouse Sundried Tomatoes

Roma tomatoes 4-8 lbs

At least a cup of EVOO

Variety of spices and salt

It makes sense to do an entire oven of these at one time. Get large cookie sheets and lightly oil with EVOO. Cut Roma tomatoes in half from the stem to the point and dip cut side in oil. Sprinkle the tops with dried oregano, thyme, herbamare or sea salt, white pepper, and crushed red peppers. If you are working with an electric oven put it on 180 and leave for about 6 hours. If you are working with a gas oven I have heated to 350 and then turned off after ten minutes and left overnight. You house will smell like your Nonna was up all night making sauce in the morning. Every stove is different. I suggest trying this on a day you are home with nothing to do the first time before you do the overnight method. You have two choices on how far to take these. You do not want to completely desiccate but to remove when they are about one half the previous size, but still pliable. Make sure your oven is clean also to avoid smoking and off flavors. To store keep in refrigerator and cover with more EVOO or freeze. These are not shelf stable. You are using three ancient preserving techniques, dehydrating, olive oil and salt but unless you over dry they will still not be shelf stable.

Israeli Sundried Tomato Pesto

2 cups sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves

1/4 cup EVOO

½ tsp fresh thyme

½ fresh oregano

1 TB fresh parsley leaves

¼ tsp crushed red peppers

Salt as needed (depends on how much you put on tomatoes)

¼ cup black pitted olives (optional)

If sundried tomatoes are not homemade, put barely enough water to cover in a small pan and bring to a rapid bowl. Turn off heat and let sit. Drain and puree tomatoes with other ingredients.

I first had this in old Tel Aviv in building that was built sometime in the first millennium. The olive oil was drawn from a well inside the building and the pesto was ground by hand. Hot pita bread was brought on a metal serving plate with five or six condiments to slather on it. Completely brilliant.

Shopping list

Cauliflower 4

Tomatoes 4-8 lbs

Onions 2 lbs

Yukon gold potatoes 4 lbs

Millet or quinoa at least 8 oz

Shallots 1 lb

Garlic 1 lb

Veg stock 2 quarts

Cashews 8 oz or more

Blue Corn meal

Polenta

Sweet potato

Raisins 4 oz

Vegetable margarine

Parsley

Olives

Pantry: agave, extra virgin olive oil, herbamare, white pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, crushed red pepper, oregano, thyme,

all recipes are vegan and gluten free