You know this farming business is rather a lot of hard work. You may also suspect that it is very rewarding. This week I was very pleased to see that those crazy green romanesco cauliflowers did indeed size up for Csa harvest. I wanted to cut them last week, but they were all so tiny. I said to myself (and anyone else who would listen) “if we wait until next week they will all be perfect or better.” But secretly, I was afraid they would stay small, just to prove me wrong. Cauliflower can be like that, spiteful. It was so delightful to cut them today, each one bigger than the last, all of them looking gorgeous.

Over the past few years we couldn’t help but notice how excited everyone gets about romanesco and how few people ask about regular white cauliflower. We decided to put in more green this year in place of the white, and so there will be no white cauliflower from the Kirsop Farm this season, but plenty of the crazy green sort. I think the green type has a slightly nutty flavor and is more sweet than the white one. Cauliflower offers significant vegetable protein along with vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, as well as a variety of minerals.

This little spat of cool wet weather has us running for our soup pots and tea pots and wool socks. We’re not ready. We have so much more work to do out there. We would really appreciate another two weeks or so of sunny dry weather to finish bringing in our onion crops and potatoes. Dry weather matter to the onions, no so much to the potatoes, but we might be more comfortable doing the work if we were dry and warm. Aside from these two big jobs we are working on finishing up, there is always the daily harvest to do, rain or shine. We try to keep all our produce fresh by cutting only one or two days ahead of Csa or market day, and that practice has us out there most days. It’s another way that it’s rewarding though, to finish a wet day and come inside and get warm and dry and spend some quality time in the kitchen with the fruits of our labors. This farming business is challenging and rewarding.

It is crazy romanesco green cauliflower time!! Here is a simple recipe from the New Laurel’s Kitchen cookbook:

Greek Cauliflower: Wash, trim, and cut cauliflower into bite size florets. Steam gently until tender. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. Lemon juice, 2 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Toss gently and then adjust the flavorings to taste. Heat gently, just to soften the parsley, and serve at once.

Cauliflower Pie – Susan Hollingsworth
3 medium potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 large head cauliflower
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
6 ounces grated cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Boil potatoes 10 minutes, drain and let cool. Shred or mash them and mix in minced onion plus salt and pepper to taste. Press into a buttered 9 inch pie pan, bake 30 minutes. Separate cauliflower into florets. Steam 10 minutes, then remove half the florets and set aside. Steam the rest another 15-20 minutes then mash them in a bowl. Heat butter in skillet, add onions and garlic and sauté until tender. Mix in basil, mashed cauliflower, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute another minute. Remove from heat and stir in egg. Spread this mixture in the crust. Sprinkle cheese over cauliflower mixture. Distribute partially cooked florets on top. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Chunky Cauliflower Soup – Broccoli and Company
1 tbsp canola oil 1 small bay leaf
1/4 cup minced onion 2 tbsp butter
1 medium carrot finely grated 1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup minced celery 2 1/4 cup milk
2-3 cups cauliflower florets salt and pepper
2 tbsp minced parsley, divided 1/4 cup sour cream
4 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp herb seasoning
Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onions, and sauté until limp. Add carrot and celery; sauté five minutes. Turn heat to low, add cauliflower and 1 tbsp of the parsley. Cover and cook15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, herb seasoning, and bay leaf. Cover and continue to cook over low heat. Melt butter in medium saucepan, stir in flour, and cook until bubbly. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps; cook until thick and smooth. Stir into cauliflower mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper; simmer 15-20 minutes stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf. Fold in sour cream and yogurt and reheat to just under a boil. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.