Cauliflower!

The first thing that I have been able to harvest out of my garden this year is Cauliflower.  This is probably because the "summer" in Vancouver has been so chilly that this wonderful cabbage crop has just been loving it, as cabbages are colder-climate crops.  Hopefully it will heat up soon so my Peppers and Tomatoes take off.  And hopefully the cat stops digging in the garden; so far she has taken my Zucchini, Cucumber, and 1 Cauliflower plant.  Thankfully I have more than one plant for most of them, as I made sure to plant like 6 Cauliflowers this year because a couple of years ago they were mercilessly killed by one big fat Woodchuck who broke through our chickenwire.


ANYWAY, I harvested this beautiful head of Cauliflower, and was trying to thing of something new to make other than a curry or a couscous dish.  I came across this lovely pasta recipe on the foodnetwork site; it is so aromatic and the flavors are so light that it makes for the perfect summer dish even though it's pasta.  It is also so easily vegan if you want, but I was feeling like a little bit of Pecornio Romano, so shoot me.  This recipe comes together quickly and it's very easy to make, so enjoy!

Sicilian Style Cauliflower with Whole Wheat Pasta

·      Sea Salt, as needed, plus 2 tsp

·         3/4 pound whole-wheat penne (I also think orecchiette would be awesome)

·         1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

·         5 cups 3/4-inch cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)

·         1 large shallot, sliced into thin rings

·         2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped (not minced)

·         3/4 cup water

·         1/4 cup white wine vinegar

·         2 tablespoons golden raisins

·         1 tablespoon honey (or Agave for Vegan option)

·         1 tablespoon capers

·         1 sprig fresh thyme

·         1 bay leaf

        Freshly ground black pepper

·         3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·         1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus however much you want (or none to make it Vegan)

      Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt it generously and add a little oil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente; tender but not mushy. Drain the pasta, transfer to a large bowl.

      Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, shallots, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower is well browned, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons salt, water, vinegar, raisins, honey (or agave), capers, thyme, bay leaf, and season with black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until cauliflower tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts and parsley. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf.

     Toss vegetables and pasta together along with the pecorino. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.

Carob Fudge!

Solid carob bars DO NOT EXIST in Vancouver.  I have scoured every health food store within 20km for a solid carob bar and the closest I can get is carob chips, which usually have an unnecessary amount of sugar and oil in them.  Besides, I can't dip them in peanut butter.  So needless to say I have been CRAVING carob, and the other day I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I didn't use dates with these because I find that sometimes it is hard to completely break down the dates in a food processor (at least for mine, and for the dates I use).  Dates are useful in deserts because they act as a sweetener and they also help to bind the ingredients together, as do raisins.  I have seen several recipes that use dates for raw fudge, but I really wanted to get a completely smooth consistency and I think I achieved it without using dates.  But, if you don't have any honey or any coconut oil, try using a bunch of dates in this recipe (about 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups) to make all of the ingredients stick together.

Carob Fudge

2 cups Walnuts

1 cup Pecans

1/2 cup carob powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbs Coconut oil

2 tbs Honey

Blend nuts in food processor until it reaches a flour-like consistency (or are finely ground).  Add carob powder and pulse.  Add the rest of the ingredients, you may need to add more honey to make it stick together or less depending on if you used dates or raisins.  Line a square tupper-ware container with wax paper, place mixture in container, freeze or refrigerate until mostly solid, slice into squares and enjoy!