Fab Fall Food/Cauliflower (Daily Dish)
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| Mon, 11-01-2004 - 5:34am |
Cauliflower, the main ingredient in Surprise South Beach Mashed Potatoes, is at its peak ripeness from September through November. A member of the cabbage family, cauliflower gets its distinct white color from lack of exposure to the sun. The green leaves shade the florets, preventing the formation of green chlorophyll. Here are a few tips for buying, storing, and eating cauliflower.
Buying and Storing: Look for a head of cauliflower with bright green leaves enclosing firm, tightly packed florets that are a creamy white. Avoid plants with bruised, brown, or exposed florets. Cauliflower can be kept refrigerated in a ventilated plastic bag for up to two days.
Eating: Chop the florets before using, and be sure to wash them well. Dirt can collect in the hard-to-reach places. Chopped cauliflower can turn brown when cooking—to avoid this, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the cooking water. Cauliflower can be boiled and used to make Surprise South Beach Mashed "Potatoes," or it can be roasted in the oven with a little olive oil and seasoning. Cauliflower is a rich source of vitamin C and also offers folate (a vitamin important to the body's cells), fiber, and cancer-fighting antioxidants.

