Winter Cauliflower with Ginger and Turmeric Dressing

Photography by Dave Bryce. Styling and recipes by Rafael Vencio.

Some of us recognize the virtues of cauliflower…but do not fall in love with it. Skillet roasting helps nudge these folks down the path to veggie romance. But it’s the wonderful dressing suggested by TABLE contributor Rafe Vencio that really makes cauliflower sing. His choice of purple and yellow cauliflower brings a nice visual appeal to the dish as well!

Round out your Meatless Monday meal with other gorgeous dishes from TABLE Magazine; Red Slaw, Green Tomato Chutney, Rice and Beans, and Seared Peaches in Gochujang Sauce. Each dish is thoughtfully and interestingly flavored!

Roasted Cauliflower with Roasted Ginger Vinaigrette

For the cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, sliced into ½ inch steak cuts

Olive oil or avocado seed oil for pan roasting

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat cast-iron on high and wait until it starts to smoke lightly. Remove pan from heat, add oil and cauliflower then return on the stove. Lower heat to medium and roast on each side until seared and tender. Drizzle with dressing and vinaigrette and garnish with watercress or cilantro

For the dressing

1 cup peeled ginger, use a spoon to scrape the skin off

½ cup fresh turmeric, found in specialty grocery stores

1 cup avocado seed oil

2 large cloves fresh garlic

¼ cup champagne vinegar

¼ cup sherry vinegar

If neither or both is unavailable, use apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp sesame oil

Juice of 1 lemon and zest

Salt to taste

Roast ginger in oil over the stove; heat oil over high heat for 2 minutes to jumpstart, then reduce to low simmer and roast ginger until lightly brown. Let cool before using. Strain oil from ginger.

In a blender, combine ginger, garlic, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice and zest, sesame oil. Blend until smooth, drizzle some oil to help break down. Add oil slowly until emulsified and season with salt to taste.