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This is part of my purple food series, I began last week, where I wrote about why purple food should be on your plate frequently.  If it was only JUST good for you, I would not talk about it. If you know me by now, I am passionate about cooking and EATING food that is good to look at, good to eat.

As an artist I start with my eyes and then I think I have that extra sense of taste some talk about (umami), because I just seem to enjoy tasting food to such a degree that I am very picky, bordering snobby about what I eat. But take heart, I cook mostly RUSTIC food, which plops me down to earth and, hopefully, you feel comfortable being here. 

This leads me to my next entry of PURPLE cauliflower.

Poor cauliflower typically that off-white color has no real appeal to the eye.  The idea of eating some steamed cauliflower only makes one think about someone on a crash diet, choking their way through bland food.

Most of us savvy food bloggers have learned to spice up cauliflower by roasting it, with various herbs, nuts and cheeses and we do a pretty good job. You’ve never seen my fabulous cauliflower here, though, because it hasn’t photographed in the appetizing way that Spinach Tiger likes. 

My mission in life is to get even the pickiest eater to LOVE the fruits of the garden, not just tolerate.

The purple color comes from anthocyanin, an antioxidant that is a powerful health booster. 

How did I cook this?

Attracted to color, a sweet peppers from the farmer’s market got a quick chop and the cauliflower was pulled apart so the the buds could enjoy their olive oil bath, sprinkle of salt and pepper, confetti of parmigiano-reggiano cheese. That’s it. Simple. And, good enough, beautiful enough to take to a party, or a picnic and get a few oohs and ahhs.

Recipe

1 head of purple cauliflower

olive oil

course sea salt, freshly ground pepper

3 seeded, chopped sweet peppers

freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese (or pecorino)

Toss cauliflower, with olive oil, (just enough to wet) salt, pepper, and peppers.

Roast covered with tin foil at 375 for 25-40 minutes (checking and tossing every ten minutes)  Remove tin foil for last 10 minutes.

Every oven is different. I used a baking stone and convection roast so my cooking time was about 25 minutes. You might need longer.

Saute Option:  You can also saute on top of stove.....

Toss with cheese right out of oven or pan.

Zabaglione with Red Wine             Purple Caponata                                Purple Sweet Potato Fries

Key Words: Cheese, Le Cordon Bleu at Home, Whisk Wednesday, 

Spinach Tiger Entry  94 Angela Roberts,  Purple Cauliflower Parties On

All original content (outside of adapted recipe) copyright © 2009 Angela Roberts, All Rights Reserved