Cauliflower tasting plate

Recipe by Rakayla McGartland, Waitaki Girls’ High School, Oamaru, Runner-up in The Great New Zealand Vegetable Dish 2011 Competition

Serves 4

Cauliflower and blue cheese soup:
1 onion, diced
225g bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cauliflower
1 L cream
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 Tbsp boiling water
½ cup blue cheese, diced
1 rasher streaky bacon
parsley sprigs or chopped spring onion for garnishing

Heat a heavy-based saucepan. Sauté onion, bacon and garlic over medium heat until bacon is brown and onion is translucent.
Cut cauliflower into medium-sized florets and add to the onion-bacon mixture.
Add cream, turn heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Dissolve stock powder in boiling water, add to cauliflower mixture and mix well.
Take off heat, add cheese and mix. Place in food processor and process until a smooth consistency.
Grill streaky bacon until crisp.
To serve, place soup in bowls, garnish with crisp bacon, and serve with a warm bread roll.

Parmesan and parsley crumbed cauliflower:
4 large cauliflower florets
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley and rosemary,
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Parmesan
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup flour

Blanch cauliflower in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then plunge into iced water, drain and leave to cool.
Mix eggs with milk to make egg wash. Add herbs, seasoning and Parmesan to breadcrumbs. Place flour in a separate bowl.
Crumb cauliflower by dipping in the flour, then the egg wash, and then the breadcrumbs, making sure the cauliflower is fully crumbed.
Heat a deep fryer to 180°C and deep fry the crumbed cauliflower for 3-5 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Serve with a balsamic glaze or a fresh garden salad.

Cauliflower fritters:
5-6 small cauliflower florets
1 egg
½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp red curry paste
1 cup soda water
¼ red capsicum, finely diced
¼ green capsicum, finely diced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 handful baby spinach leaves, finely sliced
1½ cups flour
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chopped fresh coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp oil

Boil cauliflower in boiling water for 4-5 minutes until tender. Drain and chop.
Place egg, garlic and curry paste into a large bowl, add soda water and mix.
Add capsicums, spring onions, spinach and cauliflower and mix.
Place flour, cumin, coriander and seasoning to taste into a bowl, mix and then add to the vegetables.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add oil.
Add spoonfuls of fritter mixture and fry until golden brown, turning halfway through cooking.
Remove from frying pan and place on kitchen paper.
Serve on cauliflower purée or with green beans and mashed potato.

Cauliflower purée:
½ cauliflower, cut into florets
10g butter
2 Tbsp cream
3 Tbsp ground almonds
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the cauliflower until very soft. Drain and leave in saucepan to cool. When cool, place in food processor with butter and cream and process until smooth.
Mix in ground almonds and season to taste.
Serve with cauliflower fritters or crumbed cauliflower.

2011 comp