This is my favorite way to eat cauliflower now: roasted then tossed with sweet dates and salty nuts, all of it dressed with lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper. YUM. Thank you Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen!
Wonderful with Piave Vecchio, an alpine cow’s milk cheese from the Dolomites.
Cauliflower Salad with Dates and Pistachios
serves 2–4; adapted from Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower a big one
- 1 bunch scallions/green onions
- olive oil and salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup pistachios shelled, lightly salted
- 8 medjool dates, pitted
lemon vinaigrette
- 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- flake salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450°F, use convection if you have it. Cut florets from cauliflower core then tear or cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, toss to coat or mix with your hands, then transfer to a rimmed sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Thinly slice the green part of the scallions and reserve. Cut the white part in inch-long segments, toss them in the olive oil bowl, then scooch the cauliflower from one end of the sheet pan and add the cut scallions so that you can easily remove them part way through the roasting time.
Roast for 10 minutes then remove the scallions from the sheet pan and place them in a serving bowl. Flip the cauliflower pieces, return to oven, and continue to roast for 10–15 more minutes until deeply browned in many spots. "Don't fear the char," as Deb says—"it will taste good, not burnt."
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Meanwhile, pit the dates and roughly chop them with the pistachios. Juice the lemon and whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
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When cauliflower is done, add it to the serving bowl with the roasted scallions, along with the dates, pistachios, and reserved scallion greens. Drizzle with the dressing (use all or some of it, as you like) and if it needs it, additional salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Salad keeps well at room temperature for a few hours.
