Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Goddess Dipping Sauce

With a recipe deadline looming over my head and not a lot of ideas running through my mind, I did what I always do when I’m running low on inspiration: I hit the fruit stand. I pulled into McIlrath Fruit Stand for a box of apples and Single Hill IPA still mulling over what I could possibly share. I wandered around stumbling across the most beautiful head of purple cauliflower I’ve ever seen (among a few other lovely additions including delicata squash, Winegars ice cream, Cosmic Crisp apples, the IPA I mentioned and a few more pumpkins to add to my collection at the front door).

I’ve always wanted to roast a whole cauliflower, and that gorgeous purple cauliflower was the perfect reason to give it a go. I referenced a few recipes and settled on working off of the lovely recipe Yotam Ottolenghi provides in his cookbook, ‘Simple’. The end result is the simplest of recipes, but at the same time delicious, a little bit special and the perfect for drawing your people to the table.

Because in the end, my goal isn’t to wow you with my cooking skills, but to inspire you to share a meal with your family and friends. And if I can give you a few cooking tips or recipes that makes cooking feel less like a chore and something you feel motivated and encouraged to do, then I’ve done my job.

Whole roasted cauliflower is the vegetable version of pull-apart bread. It’s rustic, savory and perfectly crispy and salty. Dipped in the cool herby green goddess dressing; it is a special and surprising appetizer perfect for the holidays or for a cozy dinner at home.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Goddess Dipping Sauce

• 1 head large purple or white cauliflower

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

• Juice of half a lemon

• I bunch rough chopped fresh parsley

• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

• 2 tablespoons fresh chives

• 1 clove garlic

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Wash the cauliflower, preserving the green leaves and pat dry with a paper towel. Submerge the cauliflower head down in the boiling water for 6 minutes. Remove the cauliflower, draining in a colander head down, for at least 10 minutes.

Place cauliflower on baking sheet, head up. In the microwave melt butter for 10 seconds. Combine it with the olive oil and liberally brush the cauliflower with the mixture, making sure to coat it evenly over the entire vegetable. Liberally salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cauliflower is crispy and brown and very tender.

While the cauliflower roasts, pulse the herbs, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper in a food processor until the sauce is smooth and bright green. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary adding a bit more lemon juice for brightness and to thin the sauce or a touch of salt and pepper to bump up the flavor.

*For a non-dairy option, swap the sour cream and mayonnaise for tahini (sesame paste).

To serve, place cauliflower on a tray, cut into ‘steaks’ and serve with the green goddess sauce drizzled over the cauliflower or for a fun appetizer, simply break off florets and dip in the sauce.