Oven Roasted Whole Cauliflower

Are you looking for a super simple side dish for Thanksgiving?  This oven roasted cauliflower recipe may be just the thing.  It's delicious and dramatic, and it couldn't be easier.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove the outer leaves and cut out the tough core of the cauliflower.  Wash the cauliflower and pat it dry.  Rub it with a generous amount (2-3 T) of olive oil.  [If you prefer, you can brush it on.]  Sprinkle it generously with salt (about 1/2-1 t) and pepper (1/4 t or to taste).  Place it on a cookie sheet or in a shallow-sided roasting pan and roast it for about an 60-90 minutes until it's tender when pierced with a fork and golden brown on the outside.

You can stop right there and you have a simple and beautiful side dish, but I like to remove the cauliflower from the oven and sprinkle it generously with smoked paprika.  Then I return it to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  If you want to get even fancier, you can make a simple sauce to serve with the roasted cauliflower.  I like this one:

4 cloves finely chopped garlic
4-6 T capers, drained
1 stick butter

Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until the butter is melted and the garlic is just beginning to color, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and serve with roasted cauliflower.

You can roast a head of garlic while the cauliflower is in the oven.  It should only take about 20 minutes.  Then you can substitute roasted garlic for the finely chopped garlic.  Chopped parsley makes a nice garnish.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Cauliflower and red and green peppers;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Rainbow chard, winter squash, strawberries, dill, and cilantro;

From K & K Ranch:  Pick Lady apples and grapes;

From Maggie's Farm:  Garden salad mix, spicy salad mix, and tatsoi;

From Weiser Family Farm:  Potatoes and beets;

From Silver Lake Farms:  Oregano, rosemary, and mint.

Enjoy!

Shelley