This recipe is an oldie, but goodie! Remember when everyone was like, “Ottolenghi who?”  I bought Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s first book and knew they were going places with their emphasis on beautiful, veggie-forward, fresh looking recipes which happened to be vegetarian.  This recipe is adapted from their first book, “Ottolenghi.”

I pretty much can’t get enough of cauliflower.  It used to be a fall/winter vegetable in my book, but now I eat it all year in so many different forms.  Cherry tomatoes, on the other hand, are strictly a summer/early fall ingredient.  So this recipe is one I have been making in September for many years.  I have served it at almost every Rosh Hashana luncheon, as well as weeknight dinners with a piece of salmon or a wedge of frittata.

In Ottolenghi’s recipe, the cauliflower is charred, but I prefer to keep the flavor really clean with just a simple blanching. The result is a bright salad with herbaceous dill and a tangy mustard-caper dressing.  It’s so good and I am contemplating how else I can use this delectable dressing.

When I make this for the holidays, I prep everything the day before and keep the spinach separate until just before serving so it doesn’t get wilty and discolored.  I know everyone is looking at this for Christmas with all the red and green.  I might consider buying cherry tomatoes out of season just once.

In the meantime, give this a go sooner rather than later and embrace the best of summer and fall!

Cauliflower with Tomatoes, Dill and Capers Recipe

Adapted from Ottolenghi

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Servings 4 -6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 Tablespoons capers drained and roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon French wholegrain mustard
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup unrefined cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tablespoon, divided
• 1 small-medium cauliflower cut into bite-size florets (about 4 cups)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped dill
• 2 ounces baby spinach leaves
• 20 cherry tomatoes halved
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Steam the cauliflower florets until tender or blanche in salted boiling water, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow to dry.
• To make the dressing: combine the capers, mustard, garlic, vinegar, ½ teaspoon sea salt and some black pepper. Whisk briskly while slowly adding the 1/3 cup oil. Taste for seasoning.
• Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the cauliflower and sauté until hot and just starting to brown. Transfer to a serving bowl. While the cauliflower is still hot, add the dressing, dill, spinach and tomatoes. Stir together well, then taste for seasoning.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

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