Makes about 3 cups (which isn't all that much)
I try to avoid boiling vegetables, preferring instead to use what I call the 'steam cheat' method, where you heat a small amount of water in the bottom of the cooking pot and pile the vegetables on top. Of course you can also use a steamer basket to cook your cauliflower.
You can increase the butter and/or cream if you like, but it really isn't necessary. You can also gussy up the basic recipe in all sorts of ways (see suggestions below), but the plain version is still my favorite. A close second is the arugula and sour cream variation (instructions below), which reminds me of creamed spinach.
As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference.
1 head cauliflower (about 2¼ pounds before trimming), cored and cut into fairly small pieces
2 cloves garlic (or more to taste), sliced into 2 to 4 pieces each
2 Tablespoons organic butter
2 Tablespoons milk or cream
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Optional additions:
Baby arugula (see instructions below)
Fresh lemon juice
Sour cream
Fresh or dried dill
Snipped fresh chives
Finely chopped scallions (green onions)
Finely grated cheddar cheese
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
A few dollops of your favorite marinara sauce
Add a scant inch of water to a 4-quart pot with a tight fitting lid. (If the pot is larger, the cauliflower will all be under water, and you'll be boiling rather than steaming it). Drop the sliced garlic in the water and add the cauliflower.
Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, until the cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, cook the garlic and cauliflower in a steamer basket.
Drain the cauliflower and garlic into a colander (or fish it out of the pot with a slotted spoon) and put it in the bowl of a food processor, along with the butter, milk or cream, salt. Process until smooth. Season to taste, adding S a few grinds of fresh pepper if desired.
Stir in one or more of the optional additions if using; dill and sour cream are really good, as are cheddar and chives. Serve hot.
Mashed Cauliflower with Arugula:
Using a slotted spoon, strain the cooked cauliflower and garlic from the pot (leaving the hot water in it) and process as directed above. For each 1 cup of purée, add 2 ounces (about 2 cups) of baby arugula to the pot of hot water and cook for 2 minutes. Strain and process with the cauliflower, along with 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice per each cup of purée.
If you want to make the whole batch with arugula, just add it to the pot with the cauliflower during the last 2 minutes of cooking. If you add a little sour cream to this version, it tastes similar to creamed spinach.
Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com
Recipe © FarmgirlFare.com
