Cauliflower and friends

At some point during late January I started noticing beautiful, plump heads of cauliflower prominently displayed at my favorite grocery stores. They seemed to be everywhere—as if cauliflower was having an extra banner year. Even so, I hesitated to buy a head. I like cauliflower. But the heads are usually large…and for someone in a small household, one head will provide several meals. I always feel like I need to really be in the mood for cauliflower to commit to it.

But since the cauliflower I was seeing was so beautiful…and also on also on sale everywhere I went…I finally decided to buy some. And as it turned out, I really was in the mood for it. I enjoyed it in so many different meals and in so many different ways (in pasta, in a pilaf…with meatloaf!), that I found myself purchasing a second head. It was good to be reminded of how versatile cauliflower can be…and of how many friends it has in the winter pantry. I hope after reading this month’s newsletter that you will be in the mood for cauliflower too.

Pancake Day

But before I jump in to cauliflower… Last week it occurred to me that the newsletter would be going out right before Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday… Shrove Tuesday… Pancake Day…). Falling on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the first day of the Lenten season—a time of spiritual reflection and self discipline that often includes fasting), traditionally the day marks the last day one can enjoy rich, decadent foods until Easter. Somehow pancakes came to be part of this pre-Lenten feast. Some sources will tell you this is because pancakes use up large quantities of eggs, butter and milk—all perishable, rich ingredients that need to be used up before being banned from the house for forty days. To be honest, pancakes aren’t the first thing I would choose to eat if I had to come up with a final rich meal to enjoy prior to a period of abstention. But I do love them…. And I always appreciate a delicious food tradition.

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