We received a HUGE head of cauliflower in our last CSA box. My first thought was, "what am I going to do with all that cauliflower?!" There is, of course, always the option of eating it raw with hummus or another dip (or as "crudité" if you're fancy). But this was a HUGE cauliflower. So what else could I do with it? Since cauliflower is in season, I suspect others are asking themselves the same question.

Here are a few ideas that I came up with for us:

Mashed: Boil or steam cauliflower florets until very tender. Use a food processor or mixer to puree the cooked cauliflower adding what you would normally use in mashed potatoes, such as: margarine, non-dairy milk, salt and pepper, or roasted garlic.

Roasted: Toss cauliflower florets with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add a few whole cloves of garlic (peeled), if desired. Roast at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper (or lightly oiled) for about 15-20 minutes, flipping half way through cooking time.

Curry: Here is a recipe for Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry (adapted from a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks: Veganomicon).

Au Gratin: Believe it or not, it is possible to make a delicious vegan gratin. Here is one example.

Soup or chowder: Cauliflower marries incredibly well with potato leek soup. Here is my recipe. This soup tastes fantastic with warm bread on a cold night.

When all else fails, there are countless resources online to find recipes for vegan dishes. There are links to some of my favorites on my Links page.