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Produce => Recipes => Topic started by: tim on January 16, 2008, 12:24:27

Title: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 16, 2008, 12:24:27
And you discard the leaf stalks? Which are a significant part of the whole?

Shame on you!!



Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Magnolia on January 16, 2008, 12:43:41
What do you do with them?
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 16, 2008, 12:53:27
Do? Them's done!!  Or you could stir-fry?
Or in Cauli & Leek Cheese? Etc.
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Magnolia on January 16, 2008, 12:57:50
Hmmmm looks good
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 16, 2008, 13:08:49
Was!!
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Froglegs on January 16, 2008, 13:49:26
Tim i know the answer is going to be obvious to every body but me, :P but what is the burnt banana skin looking thing on the side of your plate. ??? :-[
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 16, 2008, 17:44:19
Love that -  baked Aubergine!!
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: euronerd on January 16, 2008, 21:52:26
What doesn't get eaten raw as I'm cooking the meal, is put towards a stirfry. It's amazing what you can chuck into one of those.  :o

Geoff.
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: silverbirch on January 16, 2008, 22:31:15
That's one of theose "It's so obvious when pointed out" isn't it?  I've never even thought of eating the (tender, blanched) leaves because, well, it's a CauliFLOWER, isn't it?

Nice tip.
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Froglegs on January 16, 2008, 23:01:43
Quote from: tim on January 16, 2008, 17:44:19
Love that -  baked Aubergine!!
Of course it is ::)    why did i not think of that :-[ :P   
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 17, 2008, 08:16:35
Not only the 'tender blanched leaves' - like No1, which I thought everyone would eat - but the main ribs which are trimmed to expose the 'flower', No2.
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Rob08 on January 17, 2008, 08:18:16
All I have ever used the greens of a cauliflower for is as an indication for when the cauli is cooked.  You pop them into the pot with the curd and when the leaves turn bright green the whole lot is done.

Never actually thought to eat the greens though.

Seems obvious now that you point it out...
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Rob the rake on January 17, 2008, 08:19:44
Anyone like broccoli leaves? They taste better than the spears, IMHO.
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Rob08 on January 17, 2008, 08:41:28
Quote from: Rob the rake on January 17, 2008, 08:19:44
Anyone like broccoli leaves? They taste better than the spears, IMHO.

Do you cook them like cabbage leaves?
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Grandma on January 17, 2008, 08:42:16
Still with Tim's 'waste not' theme but on the subject of broccoli - a local restaurant offers dozens of cold starters - (including caviar, smoked oysters, etc.  so it's quite up-market!) One of the dishes offered consists of the stems of broccoli - (you know, the really thick ones) -  thinly sliced, steamed and served in a mustard dressing. It's very attractive as the cut stems have really pretty shapes and, best of all, it's absolutely delicious! No broccoli wastd in my kitchen now"  :)
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Rob the rake on January 17, 2008, 10:04:11
Quote from: Rob08 on January 17, 2008, 08:41:28
Quote from: Rob the rake on January 17, 2008, 08:19:44
Anyone like broccoli leaves? They taste better than the spears, IMHO.

Do you cook them like cabbage leaves?

In a word, yes. They're lovely in a stir-fry. The young leaves around the head of broccoli are the nicest, they have a lovely strong flavour without any bitterness.
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: valmarg on January 18, 2008, 14:51:14
Takes me back.

When I was knee high to grandma, if she was preparing cabbage or cauli, I would be given the 'treat' of the trimmed stems of the veg.  They are so sweet and delicious.  I still think the best part of a cabbage or cauli is the raw   stems.  Much tastier than raw carrot.

valmarg


Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 18, 2008, 15:15:02
Well brought up. Grandmas have their uses!!
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Jeannine on January 18, 2008, 19:07:46
I was a bit surprised to read this as I  presumed everybody used them.XX Jeannine
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Suzanne on January 18, 2008, 20:10:23
My mum drilled me in the waste notwant not school of cooking - so use the greens. Now I have the lotties my mum specifically requests all greens from spent calabrese, broccoli and cauli plants are hers to pick thourhg. havng seen Tims masterpiece maybe i will split them 50:50 from now on ;D
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 22, 2008, 18:10:39
Just came across this -

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10467
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: twinkletoes on January 24, 2008, 13:25:42
I was stunned.......£1.85 for a small cauli in our local village Co-op!!!   Must do better this year at growing my own!
Twinkletoes
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on January 25, 2008, 19:10:12
Don't agree with Tesco, but 65p for a big one!
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Jeannine on February 03, 2008, 20:53:28
A first for me today, and worth a mention.

I had to buy sprouts, so I bought them on the stem..thinking of Tim's thread I peeled the stem till I got down to the soft centre then I popped chunks in with the sprouts. The chunks were lovely, sort of potato texture and quite sweet, never will I chuck the stalks out again.

They were a bit harder to peel than broccoli stalks though, but worth the effort.

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on February 04, 2008, 16:05:25
Nice one! But did you pay more than for loose? We do if we buy from the Farmers' Market!
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Jeannine on February 04, 2008, 16:33:59
Tim, I don't know, I have never bought them like this before but they looked better than eveything else, sadly the  buttons were a bit bitter but the stem was lovely.

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: tim on February 04, 2008, 18:07:00
The Market says "oh well, they last longer"!
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: carolinej on February 04, 2008, 20:10:36
So have I got this right? I can pull up my sprout stems, peel and boil them and they will be ok to eat? Sounds like a great way of using them as they take so long to rot down. (yes , I know I should shred them, but I never seem to get around to it :-[)

cj :)
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Jeannine on February 04, 2008, 20:36:00
Caroline, I have only done this just this once.

It was very difficult to peel, but the centre was soft, I had to peel deep so I probably peeled off half .

Try it but watch the knife doesn't slip. think peeling a very  mature  squash.

They probably get tougher the older they are so I don't know about after you have picked sprouts off over a long period.

Try it !!

If you get to the centre I guarantee you will like it

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: Toadspawn on February 04, 2008, 22:36:51
Hi Jeannine
When we were young we often picked kale growing in the fields to be used for animal fodder, peeled off the outer hard stem and ate the soft sweet centre. Wonderful raw but never tried it cooked. In a way a bit similar to Kohl Rabi eaten raw.
Title: Re: So, you buy a Cauliflower?
Post by: carolinej on February 04, 2008, 22:43:20
I think I'll give it a go. I wonder if there will be any difference in the taste between the green and red sprout stems.

At least that way I will get to eat more of my red sprouts. Most of them were blown (think stem with huge red cabbages bursting out like aliens ;D)

cj :)