Cauliflower, Corn, and Cucumber Salad

 

It really isn’t necessary to follow a recipe for a big chopped summer salad. Whatever is ripe in the garden or looks good at the farmer’s market has the power go into a bowl with a simple dressing and make your day. That being said, hear me out about a particularly satisfying crunchy combination.

This approximate recipe was out in cyberspace at valentinascorner.com, and I was intrigued. It turns out that the three different textures of crunchy raw cauliflower florets, crisp fresh cucumbers, and chewy grilled kernels of corn really make a uniquely lovely salad for the peak of summer. I liked the cauliflower chopped into small, bite-size pieces, and the cucumbers sliced thin. The corn kind of fills in the gaps between the other vegetables and balances their flavors with its sweeter starchiness. And then there’s a bit of red bell pepper for more flavor and color.

I dressed this salad rather simply, with a mixture of mayonnaise and buttermilk. It pulls the salad ingredients together and makes them a bit saucy, without overwhelming their high summer textures and flavors. Since there are only two ingredients in the dressing, if you decide you want to add or subtract from the volume of your salad based on what’s available – always a good idea when freshness is at hand – you can adjust your dressing quite easily as well.

As I implied above, just about any lovely fresh vegetables you have on hand can make a nice chopped salad like this one. Don’t let this ingredient list limit you, especially if you have a garden or a good local farmer’s market. You also could put in whatever herbs you prefer. I used thyme, just because I felt I’d been neglecting my homegrown pot of it lately, but dill would be very good, as would basil, and perhaps tarragon.

Probably the biggest surprise in this recipe is the way the corn filled a niche and contributed so well to the mix. I was especially excited because on my social media pages, I’ve declared fresh corn to be the Ingredient of the Week! Long live fresh corn! Purchased closed to the source, if you please.

Cauliflower, Corn, and Cucumber Salad

Adapted from valentinascorner.com

The amounts and ratios of the vegetables in this salad are not important. Adjust everything to taste and availability of ingredients.

You can peel the cucumbers if you want. I don't usually bother with fresh cucumbers this time of year.

3 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed

½ medium-size head of cauliflower, cut int small florets, about 2 cups

2 medium-size cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced

½ large red bell pepper, finely chopped

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Grill the ears of corn, turning occasionally, until they are lightly charred on all sides, and the corn is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the grill and cool until it is easy to handle.

2. Cut the corn off the cob and place in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower, cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and buttermilk. Pour over the vegetable mixture and stir well to coat. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Chopped Vegetable Salad; Crunchy Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Apple Salad

One year ago: Mocha Sorbet

Archive Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Olives

I’ve been approaching much of the cooking I’ve done so far this year a little differently, applying a bit more care and patience in recording recipes, photographing dishes, and, probably most importantly, pronouncing something “just right” (or at least “pretty good”). Something like this bulgur pilaf is inherently simple and became presentable quickly and easily, but not everything goes quite that well. Honestly, I think serious flops are funny, and wouldn’t hesitate to share them, but I’ve been more guilty of pronouncing iffy recipes or lackluster photos “good-enough-and-I-need-to-get-something-posted.” I’d like this space to be more of a well-functioning online cookbook, so, let’s do a little better than that, shall we?

 

This means that a few culinary adventures, specifically a very good cinnamon swirl raisin bread that needs one more run to see if the dough could be improved with additional liquid, and some delicious vegan chickpea burgers that weren’t quite ready for their close-ups (and I neglected to record how long I fried them) are going to be revisited before making any Messy Apron appearances. But speaking of revisiting, I’m also trying to revisit some old posts, specifically those with bad (bad, bad!) photos or oh, let’s call them “under-tested” recipes. This is great, because I get to cook lots of dishes that I already know are good! And I get to eat them, too!

Recently, I pulled this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Olives out of the archives. When I first posted it almost 5 years ago, I had all kinds of ideas for delicious variations. And in that 5 years, I tried exactly zero of them. While I love variety and I love recipes as variations on a theme, I’m here to tell you that in this case, never getting around to trying those ideas isn’t really such a bad thing. This dish is still delicious as it is!

The cauliflower gets a bit nutty and toasty with roasting while the chickpeas get even nuttier and chewy. The briny olives give a nice, concentrated punch in contrast, complemented by a squeeze of lemon juice applied just before serving. Lots of garlic and some crushed red pepper flakes give even more lovely layers of flavor making this dish amazingly complex for having relatively few ingredients. 

 

I still think that some other variations could be applied to the basic concept of this recipe. Kalamata olives would be nice. Perhaps some broccoli or broccoli rabe could accompany the cauliflower. Sundried tomatoes and roasted peppers might make good additions. A few sprinkles of smoked paprika could come along for the ride, or sherry vinegar could replace the lemon juice. Instead of serving this with a grain-based side dish, it could be tossed with pasta or stuffed into a pita.

 

I originally posted this as a vegetable side dish, but I recently served it as part of a vegetarian supper where it was sort of a co-main dish along with Bulgur Pilaf with Almonds and Apricots. Together, the two dishes provide protein, starch, vegetable and fruit (I also had a salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette in this meal), and what more do you need to make a real meal? Okay, perhaps a semi-sweet bottle of white wine.

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Olives
Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

1 medium cauliflower, about 1-1 ¼ pounds, cut into florets
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 ½ to 2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained if canned
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup minced parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the cauliflower florets, olives, garlic and chickpeas in a roasting pan.
 

 2. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat well (I used my hands).

3. Bake at 450 F for about 25 minutes or until the cauliflower is beginning to brown. Stir occasionally. The cauliflower will not be completely tender, but will still have a bit of crispness to it.

4. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with lemon juice and add the parsley. Stir to combine well.

Makes about 4 side dish or 2-3 main dish servings.

One Year Ago: Cranberry Walnut Tabbouleh

Archive Recipe of the Week: Cabbage, Cauliflower and Apple Salad

I don't really have an excuse for not having an Archive Recipe of the Week for last week. It's not like there aren't a lot of previously posted fall recipes that I love. It's not even like I didn't make anything from the archives. On the contrary: I made Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies and a version of these peanut butter cookies, plus Pasta with Squash Puree and Blue Cheese Sauce and Soup Beans.

I guess I was holding out for a chance to talk about getting back to this Crunchy Cabbage, Cauliflower and Apple Salad, which has gone sadly neglected for years. It had been…I don’t know how long. Embarrassing.

 

But when I went crawling back to it, the experience was like rebirth, like seeing, tasting, smelling again for the first time. Okay maybe that’s a bit overboard, but this is a great salad and quite a wonderfully refreshing use of otherwise stodgy seasonal vegetables (and fruit). The caraway is a dynamite addition and the cider vinegar really jazzes up the flavors.

This salad also keeps well, so you can enjoy it for a few days. The vinegar keeps the apples from turning brown, and everything stays crisp and bright. Yes, I’ve been seeing other salads and even other recipes from the archives, but my love for this one stands the test of time and neglect. Reconciliation never tasted so good.

 

Crunchy Cabbage, Cauliflower and Apple Salad

Modified from a recipe in Eating Well magazine.
1/3 cup (75 ml) mayonnaise
1/3 cup (75 ml) sour cream
2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) caraway seeds, coarsely crushed
½ teaspoon (2 ml) salt
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) freshly ground pepper
¼ cup (about 1 ounce or 30g) finely chopped red onion
8 ounces (250g or about 2 cups) chopped green cabbage
8 ounces (250g or about 2 cups) chopped cauliflower
1 chopped tart, crisp apple, cored (no need to peel)


1. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, red onion, cider vinegar, caraway seeds, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to blend well.

2. Add onion, cabbage, cauliflower and apple to the dressing. Toss well to coat with the dressing.


Makes about 6 servings. Can be made ahead of time, since the vinegar in the dressing keeps the apples from getting brown. Keep chilled. Leftovers last a few days in the refrigerator.

 

Other recipes like this one: Red Cabbage Slaw with Apples and Cranberries, Cabbage and Chard Slaw with Orange-Tahini Dressing, Cabbage Slaw with Feta and Olives, Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing, Broccoli Stem and Kohlrabi Slaw

One year ago: Winter Squash and Kale Frittata with Feta

 

 

 

Cauliflower Pasta Salad

I actually am a fan of pasta salad. I put it that way because so many good cooks and chefs complain about pasta salads an awful lot. Luckily, these people seem to like food enough to try to improve upon that salad that they like so little, rather that ditching it entirely, or I’d never find new pasta salad recipes to try. Like this one, which is based on a recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

I’ve had this one on my list of recipes to try for quite some time. Last week, we got our first cauliflower of the year in our CSA box, and I interpreted that as the perfect opportunity to make this recipe. The cauliflower and noodles are enhanced with capers, sun-dried tomatoes and a mustardy vinaigrette with plenty of lemon juice. Really, they had me at cauliflower and mustard, since I love tangy mustard with cabbage-y vegetables, but the lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes and capers make this salad extra tangy and really delicious.

The cauliflower is blanched for this recipe, making it tender, but with a bit of bite, rather than hard and crunchy like raw cauliflower. That step really doesn’t take much extra time, since you’re boiling water for pasta anyway. Just boil the cauliflower before cooking the pasta and remove it with a slotted spoon.

Where others hate pasta salads, I hate the term “warm salad.” To me, a salad is cold, and something warm is something else. That being said, this salad really is best served a little warm. I don’t really know what else to call it but a salad, and it’s perfectly edible cold, but in the warmer salad, the mustard and lemon are more fragrant and the pasta has a nicer texture. I’m just going to have to live with that. The sacrifice is immense. Mouthwatering, but immense. Incidentally, if you’re one of those folks who can’t stand the sight of another pasta salad with tasteless dressing and pasty, cold noodles, you might want to give a less chilly pasta salad a try.

Pasta Salad with Cauliflower and Mustard Lemon Dressing

Based on a recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Salt for boiling water
8 ounces chopped cauliflower
4 ounces short pasta
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon diced onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sour cream
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a small handful of salt. Add the cauliflower and cook about 3 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Cook the pasta in the boiling water to desired firmness. Drain. Add the pasta to the bowl with the cauliflower. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, parsley and capers.

3. Chop the garlic and sprinkle the ½ teaspoon salt over it. Chop a few more times, then crush the garlic and salt with the side of the knife against the cutting board. Continue until the garlic and salt form a paste. Place the garlic paste in a small bowl.

4. To the garlic paste, add the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, onion, Dijon mustard, sour cream and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add the olive oil and whisk until well-combined.

5. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower mixture and stir to coat well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 6 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Crunchy Cabbage, Cauliflower and Apple Salad, Broccoli and Chickpea Salad with Mustard-Pepper Dressing

Is it Safe?

Cashews are a big favorite in this household. I add them to pasta dishes and curries and we eat them all alone as a snack pretty regularly. That’s why I knew that the idea of a sauce with a cashew butter base, which I came across in several respectable sources, was going to go over pretty well, as long as I didn’t mess it up too badly.

The most promising method involved pureeing cashew butter with coconut milk to make a creamy sauce that I thought I’d toss with pasta and some of the large leftover head of cauliflower hanging around the refrigerator waiting for another chance to make Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Olives. The bad news is that Harry hates coconut. The good news is that he will eat what he calls “safety coconut” which is usually a flavorful dish, such as a spicy curry, that contains a small amount of coconut milk. The even better news is that he trusts me to judge when something I make will be “safe” enough for him to eat.

And so, starting with raw cashews, I roasted, pureed (it was quite a pleasure to just sniff the cashews as I was grinding them in the food processor), seasoned and blended with a small amount of light coconut milk. I tasted, decided it was safe, added some more coconut milk, tasted again, and decided it was still safe. I kept the spice blend simple to save time (it was one of those busy nights when Harry stops home for dinner before teaching a night class), and sliced the cauliflower instead of separating it into florets. Not only did the cauliflower cook faster this way, but it was easier to eat tossed with the fettuccine.

Often, when a sauce for noodles is thick like this one, tradition demands that you set aside some of the pasta cooking water and use it to thin out the sauce while tossing it with the pasta. Unfortunately, I usually forget to save some of the water when dumping the cooked pasta into a colander in the sink. When you’re forgetful like me, plain water will do, or, in this case, a little more coconut milk might work as well. I’ve found, however, that with a sauce prepared in the food processor, there’s always a bit of goodness sticking to the sides and bottom of the processor bowl. So, I take a bit of warm water and swish it around to dissolve some of that sauce that would otherwise be wasted and use the resulting slurry to thin the sauce. Fewer good ingredients get washed down the drain and I’m rescued from my forgetfulness. (This works well with Pesto, also.)

This dish was delicious if somewhat sweet for a main dish, and quite rich. The cauliflower helped tame both of those characteristics, but I was very satisfied with a pretty small portion (perhaps about 1 cup). Harry liked it too, declaring it not only safe, but also very good (and I didn’t even have to apply dental torture to get that answer). He didn’t quite rave over it the way he does with Beef and Guinness Pot Pie or Spaghetti Pie or Pumpkin Pie (methinks the man likes pie), but he liked it and I liked it and that all works for me.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Cashew Sauce
You may be able to use unsalted roasted cashews and skip the roasting step, but I have not tried this myself.

Sliced cauliflower rather than florets cooks fast and works well with the pasta.

1 cup raw cashews (about 5 ounces)
1 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt, plus additional if needed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon honey
½ cup light coconut milk, well stirred, divided
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3 cups sliced cauliflower, cut into about 2-inch pieces (about ½ a large head)
¼ cup water, plus more as needed

cilantro leaves for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the cashews on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 F about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the pan to cool.

2. Combine the salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. When the cashews are cool enough to handle, place them in the bowl of a food processor. Process until just beginning to form a coarse paste. (This could take a few minutes.) Add the honey and process until the cashew butter can be pressed together and resembles a dry peanut butter in texture.

Add about ½ of the spice mixture and ¼ cup coconut milk. Process until a smooth paste forms. Add the remaining ¼ cup coconut milk and process until the mixture is very smooth.

4. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in plenty of boiling salted water until done to your liking (I prefer al dente). Drain the pasta and set aside. Rinse or wipe any excess starch out of the pasta-cooking pot and return to the stove.

5. Pour the canola oil into the pot and heat over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and sauté until beginning to become tender and browning on the edges.



Add the remaining spice mixture. Saute about 30 seconds more. Add ¼ cup water. Cover and steam the cauliflower 3 minutes or until tender.

6. Remove the cover and reduce the heat to low. Add the pasta and cashew butter mixture. Stir or toss to combine well, adding more water, preferably mixed with the remains of the sauce sticking in the food processor, if the sauce is too thick. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Makes about 4 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Penne with Chicken Sausage, Olives and Walnut Sauce

Cauli-flavor

Cauliflower isn’t always an easy sell. It doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor on its own and usually gets dipped in something creamy or covered in a cheese sauce, at least in this part of the country (or in my family, anyway). Since I’d usually been presented with it boiled into an unappealing mush, I’ve always preferred it raw. Relatively recently, however, I’ve learned that cauliflower is quite nice when roasted. It’s still mild in flavor, but it browns and caramelizes, developing a touch of sweetness and getting a little nutty. (Sound like anyone you know?)

I’ve been tossing cauliflower into pans of Roasted Vegetables, usually in the fall and winter when I have lots of root vegetables and winter squash to roast. I came across a recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine, however, that was a little different. I just had to see the photo of the dish to know I was going to make some version of it, and soon. As I mentioned in the previous post, as things progressed, I ended up changing a recipe for turkey salad just to make it “go” a little better with this one.


This recipe combines cauliflower with chickpeas and green olives, and punches it all up with lots of garlic, olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes. The whole lot is roasted until the cauliflower gets mostly tender, the chickpeas get a little toasty and chewy, and the whole place smells like roasted garlic. The hot pepper is noticeable, but not fiery. You could leave it out if you don’t like spicy food. The warm olives are a nice surprise. I like their tart, brininess amidst the milder cauliflower and chickpeas. Lemon juice and parsley, stirred in after roasting, just brighten up the dish even more.

I can imagine some potentially interesting variations of this recipe (kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, different fresh herbs), and I now know from experience that it’s worth working a meal around this roasted side dish. I also heated the leftovers and served them as a sandwich in pita bread. The combination of the chickpeas and the wheat in the bread should create a complete protein so, ta-da!, I’ve just declared this a light main dish as well!



Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Olives
Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

1 medium cauliflower, about 1-1 ¼ pounds, cut into florets
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup minced parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the cauliflower florets, olives, garlic and chickpeas in a roasting pan.

2. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat well (I used my hands).

3. Bake at 450 F for about 25 minutes or until the cauliflower is beginning to brown. Stir occasionally. The cauliflower will not be completely tender, but will still have a bit of crispness to it.

4. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with lemon juice and add the parsley. Stir to combine well.

Makes about 4 servings.