Roasted Cauliflower and Sauce Vierge

Baby Baldur knows that the secret to making friends with Briar is by sharing his toys!

Things are starting to settle down after the great upheaval of Christmas and New Years. We had so much fun with family and friends flowing through the house in an endless stream. Not, to mention the fluffy new addition to our family. This week, I decided to set some time aside to try a few recipes from a new cookbook that I received from Luke and Georgina for Christmas. The book  is Modern Sauces, 2012, by Martha Holmberg. Perfect for grilling, since we like to keep it simple on the grill, and then dress things up with a sauce. This is right up my alley!! I tried the Sauce Vierge with Roasted Cauliflower and Veal Chops last week. It was so delcicious, that I have already made it again, and used the leftover Sauce Vierge on pasta.  Then, I thought that I should try to develop a new recipe for this week, so stuck with the roasted cauliflower theme, since it is so simple and delcious when roasted on the grill. The flavours really come out when the cauliflower caramelizes as it roasts, so soup seemed the perfect dish with which to highlight it.

Roasted Cauliflower with Sauce Vierge

2 large heads cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Sauce Vierge

Preheat barbecue on HIGH for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to MEDIUM.
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a grilling tray and place on the grids. Roast for 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is golden brown and tender.


Reserve half, in order to make soup the next day. Place the rest in a warmed serving bowl and drizzle generously with the Sauce Vierge.


Sauce Vierge

1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup pitted green olives, finely chopped
2 tbsp gherkins, finely chopped
1 tbsp shallots, mince
1 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 tsp jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tsp preserved lemon, chopped
4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, toss together the parsley, basil, olives, gherkins, shallots, capers, jalapeno pepper, preserved lemon, anchovies and garlic. Stir in the olive oil, then stir in the lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper. This highly savoury sauce should rest for 30 minutes, to allow the flavours to develop. It is best used within the hour. Store leftover sauce in the refirgerator in an air-tight container and use the next day on pasta or grilled meats, such as Grilled Veal Chops, as we did, or on roasted chicken.

Grilled Veal Chops

4 thick veal chops, approx. 400 grams each
2 tbsp your favourite rub
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat barbecue on HIGH heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Prepare veal chops for grilling by basting them lightly with extra virgin olive oil, and rubbing both sides with your rub. Allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to grilling.
Place on grids and cook for 12-16 minutes, depending on the thickness, turning every 4 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve with Sauce Vierge.

 Roasted Cauliflower Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp red curry paste
1/2 cup white wine
8 cups chicken stock
1 head roasted cauliflower

 Heat the oilive oil in a large heavy bottomed stock pot. Add the diced carrot, celery onion and sweet potato and saute gently for 15 minutes. Add minced ginger, garlic and red curry paste and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Carefully add the white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and roasted cauliflower and simmer for 20 minutes, to allow flavours to develop. Using and immersion blender, puree the soup. Serve with a nice light salad for a satisfying lunch or light dinner.