Sad but true, the last few weeks of the Farmers Market are here. Sometimes, if the weather cooperates, you can get a couple of weeks in December, too. But given our October Nor'easter I'm not holding out hope.
I had to put my foot down in order to hang onto this beautiful purple cauliflower yesterday. I was wandering around to all the booths, surveying the land as I always do and I came upon the purple treasure at my favorite farmer lady's stand (I don't know her name, how awful am I?). I thanked her for having it and told her I only ate it because it was purple. Another customer at the stand started asking how I prepared it and a whole conversation began between the three of us ladies about cauliflower prep.
Anyway, I had the last purple one, the rest were orange or white. And she tried and tried but I wasn't going to give her the purple one. "The orange ones are good, too!" I exclaimed. "They have different vitamins!"
She still wanted the purple one, but it was obvious I wasn't going to budge. So she gave up and picked up an orange head of cauliflower; something she wasn't going to do before I had arrived and sparked the cauliflower conversation.
There's a lesson in there for me...
And for you - my purple cauliflower prep, along with chicken and white sweet potatoes.
One whole organic 5 pound chicken bought on sale
One handful of Herbs de Dionysus (oregano and rosemary)
One large white sweet potato
One head of purple cauliflower
Penzy's Northwoods Seasoning
Remove chicken innards from still-frozen chicken cavity without freezing your hand. Stuff with herbs and cover chicken with Northwoods Seasoning (washing your hands every 15 seconds so you don't get salmonella on everything). Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Then add chopped, skinless sweet potato lightly tossed in salt, pepper and olive oil. About 30 minutes later add cauliflower florets also tossed in salt, pepper and olive oil. Stir potatoes while the oven is open. Stir it all again in about 20 minutes to make sure it's all covered in chicken-fat-goodness and continue to cook until the bird is done. About 1 hour 45 minutes to two hours for a bird of that size.
We ate almost all of it, but the leftovers will find themselves in something grand. I'm preparing to teach a Dinner for Two class for Trumbull Adult Ed in February! Start saving your pennies, folks! More info soon, stay tuned!
-HH
2 comments:
Don't laugh - I've never come across anything but a white cauliflower. Obviously they taste different and like you said have different vit in them.
Did you go to culinary school? I wish I could. I am old (56) but would love to cook for people. I am an accountant with a passion for cooking. Accounting pays the bills though.
I went to culinary school at the local community college and got a certificate in Culinary Arts. I've seen your food, Becca - it's fantastic, I bet you could teach my teachers a thing or two :)
If you go to the farmers market tell them you want purple cauliflower next year - they'll grow it for you if you ask, I bet :)
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