More fun with brassica

Brassica is the family of vegetables that includes cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli. I made a couple of Mark Bittman recipes from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for July 4th.

First I spent about 45 minutes cleaning the cauliflower. There were lots of tiny bugs living inside it, probably because it was so pretty. I soaked it in about a million changes of water with some white vinegar in it, which encouraged the inhabitants to come out, but it took forever.

I made this recipe; it was nice but not thrilling. I used golden raisins and they didn't contrast enough with the gold cauliflower. They also all wanted to be on the bottom of the bowl.

Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins and Vinaigrette
1 large head cauliflower, cored, trimmed and separated into florets
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves (I had no parsley, left it out)
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Put the cauliflower in a roasting pan, drizzle with 3Tbsp of oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to distribute. Roast, turning once or twice, for 15 minutes or so, until the cauliflower just starts to soften.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil with the vinegar and a little salt and pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the pan from the oven, drizzle the cauliflower with 2 Tbsp of the vinaigrette, and toss to coat. Roast again, turning once more, until a thin-bladed knife pierces a piece with little resistance, another 15 minutes. 
3. When you're ready to serve, put the cauliflower in a large salad bowl and add the raisins and parsley. Add the remaining dressing and toss. Taste and sprinkle with more salt if needed and lots of pepper, then serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

I've made this Coleslaw many times. It's always good, and it lets the vegetables really shine. This gorgeous head of organic cabbage was particularly nice-tasting. It was so large that I doubled the recipe. It made 2 large bowlfuls.

Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used lemon)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh jalapeno chile (optional)
1/4 cup peanut or extra virgin olive oil
6 cups cored and shredded cabbage
1 large red pepper, shredded
1/3 cup diced scallion (I left this out)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves (we have already discovered that we don't have any, no big loss here)
1. Whisk the mustard, vinegar, garlic and chile together in a small bowl. Add the oil a little at a time, whisking all the while.
2. Combine the vegetables and toss with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve. It's best to let this rest for an hour or so before serving to allow the flavors to mellow. Just before serving, toss with the parsley. Toss it anyway, even if not adding parsley.