{"id":900,"date":"2014-09-23T12:30:18","date_gmt":"2014-09-23T19:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogadmin.plantlust.com\/blog\/?p=900"},"modified":"2024-01-24T06:17:18","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T14:17:18","slug":"dont-worry-eat-cauliflower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantlust.com\/blog\/edible-gardens\/dont-worry-eat-cauliflower\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t worry, eat cauliflower"},"content":{"rendered":"

First, let me apologize if I got a certain relentlessly cheery 1980s pop song stuck in your head with the blog title. I’ve been punished, it’s now stuck in mine.<\/p>\n

There were two things that came across my field of vision recently\u00a0that led me to this earworm. First,\u00a0an article on NPR warned me\u00a0that freaking\u00a0out about getting\u00a0stuck in traffic could kill you just as dead<\/a> as more major life stressors, so stop it.\u00a0I don’t really freak out about matters of\u00a0traffic\u00a0\u00a0(anymore), but I am guilty of overbooking, chronically running late, and getting all worked up with guilt and anxiety. Hey, did I mention I meant to post this yesterday? Ahem.<\/p>\n

Just as\u00a0I was worrying about worrying, I stumbled across a happy little\u00a0factoid about cruciferous vegetables significantly reducing\u00a0mortality rates. I googled here<\/a> and there and\u00a0didn’t find consensus on the math of\u00a0cruciferous\u00a0super powers\u00a0, but it seems we can all agree on some degree of less-dying when we\u00a0eat\u00a0these tasty veggies. I may not have mastered the anxiety free brain, but I’m covered when it comes to gobbling up cauliflower and friends.
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\nLet’s talk for a minute about how versatile it is, shall we? Cauliflower is a miracle because it’s so light but also creamy and\u00a0comforting and nutritious. I think our culture’s historical belief in diets ruined many peoples’ relationship with food, mine included for many years. Now if I start thinking, hmm, those jeans are feeling\u00a0a little snug, I think: what vegetables can\u00a0I eat more of? Willpower is finite, deprivation is boring and sad.\u00a0Dreaming up delicious menu additions is way more fun, and it’s how I like to think about food. Cauliflower is one of those foods that can sneak into a million meals.<\/p>\n

Have you seen the gadzillions of recipes for\u00a0cauliflower pizza crust<\/a>, and more importantly, have you tried it yet? Completely worth the pain-in-the-neck effort if you’ve got the time to cook and squeeze and mix and cook again. Then add pizza toppings and cook again.\u00a0Phew! I love it and recommend it, but I’m on the lazy side, and rarely get the energy up for the affair. You can also make your crust mix into garlic “breadsticks”, which are a little easier because you get to skip the final topping and cooking step.<\/p>\n

Cauliflower tortillas are also a happy find, although they don’t taste like a traditional tortilla. Still very good.<\/p>\n

Far easier to make: cauliflower puree, which you just cook until soft and blend until smooth, which only takes 10 minutes or so. You can of course make cauliflower “mashed potatoes.” I do this all the time and love it on its own or as a topper on a shepherds pie type dish, but even more often I use\u00a0it\u00a0as a mixer to\u00a0lighten up other dishes I love. A few of my favorite things:<\/p>\n