Matters of Taste: What’s with all the cauliflower?

Cauliflower is a perfect compliment to the sweetness of scallops in this dish at Crescent Heights in San Diego. (Courtesy photo)

What’s with all the cauliflower??

All of a sudden, this sturdy, white-on-white globe is the darling of the dining scene.

For years, it seems, cauliflower waited in the wings, while trendier veggies like fiddlehead ferns and white asparagus, ramps and pea tendrils stole the show.

But now, it’s stage center. And recently, in the space of one week, I fell in love with three extraordinary cauliflower dishes made by local San Diego chefs.

At NOBU, in downtown’s Hard Rock Hotel, it was a simple but sensational presentation of cauliflower rosettes roasted in a brick oven, then lightly misted with a “sauce” of pureed fresh jalapeños, Japanese vinegar and grapeseed oil. The aroma was intoxicating; the tastes and textures a triumph.

Crescent Heights chef David McIntyre took a slightly more ambitious approach with sauteed diver scallops in a pureed cauliflower sauce that was plumped up with a little cream. The talented chef/owner set the bronzed scallops alongside a colorful confetti of weensy cauliflower florets in purple, green and white, golden raisins and roasted shallots.  Another elegant sauce — of white wine, preserved lemon and butter –  accented the dish. (Multi-colored cauliflower is occasionally available at upscale markets and at Specialty Produce.)

McIntyre stresses that the cauliflower for his preparations comes from Chino Farm in Rancho Santa Fe, which means it has the best, freshest flavor necessary to make an interesting sauce.  Cooked al dente, these dainty florets hold their shape and color perfectly, and taste as good as they look.

According to Trey Foshee, chef at George’s California Modern in La Jolla, Chino cauliflower is the secret to the success of his Cream of Cauliflower Soup, too. The satiny mix of pureed veggie, heavy cream, chicken stock and a whisper of white truffle oil is topped with a delicate “salad” of Dungeness crab, lemon zest and chopped Marcona almonds.

Other chefs in town also appreciate the versatility of cauliflower. At Market in Del Mar, chef Carl Schroeder uses curried cauliflower bits to add intrigue to his coriander-roasted butternut squash soup. A petite “garden” – cilantro-chive salad – is planted atop the soup.

Olivier Bioteau of Farm House Café seasons roasted cauliflower with red pepper oil.  And at A. R. Valentien in the Torrey Pines Lodge, chef Jeff  Jackson fills squash blossoms with Dungeness crab and sets them afloat on a pureed cauliflower sauce made with sauteed leeks, onions and milk.

Here’s the recipe from Trey Foshee and his kitchen team.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Dungeness Crab and Marcona Almond Salad

8 servings

Soup
1  yellow onion, peeled and minced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
4 ounces butter
2 head    white cauliflower, chopped, preferably from Chino Farm
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon white truffle oil

Crab Salad
4 ounces  fresh Dungeness crab
Zest of 2  Meyer lemons
3 tablespoons chopped Marcona almonds

For the soup:
In a medium saucepan sweat the onions and garlic in the butter until soft but not browned. Add the cauliflower and cook 5 minutes and add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until everything is soft, about 15 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, blend well and strain and finish with salt, white pepper and  truffle oil.

For the crab salad:
Combine everything in a bowl and mix.

Maureen Clancy is an award-winning food writer whose work can be seen on her blog “Matters of Taste.” She’d love to hear about your favorite cauliflower dish in San Diego.

Tags: cauliflower, Crescent Heights, Farm House Cafe, George's Califonria Moderrn, Matters of Taste, Maureen Clancy, Nobu, SDNN

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 21st, 2009 at 9:51 am and is filed under Food . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.