Cauliflower Cheese - Simple suppers

Crucifers - Cauliflower Cheese I get very excited at this time of year for the wonderous group known as Crucifers: Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Greens, Brussels Sprouts. I have always eaten them all, Raw and cooked. The one I fell out of love with for a while was Broccoli, I am not sure why this happened.

One of my favorite dinners is a plate of Cauliflower, good potato - a waxy golden one like the French fingerlings and a carrot, all covered with a leek sauce. When we were children we would often have cauliflower cheese with a thick slice of granary bread alongside it. Again, a perfect dinner. I am not a milky person, never drink it, quite repulses me. So, I often think this was one of Mum’s ways to get some dairy into me. My trick now, is to make a spicy cheese sauce, so that the milk taste is really hidden

1 cauliflower, cut into pieces. I like to cut the large florets down Place florets in rolling boiling water. Bring back to the boil, quickly, high heat. Strain the cauliflower in a collander, I like it to sit and really drain. Then lay the cauliflower out in an oblong baker.

Stick of butter, melted. 1/2 an onion, finely chopped and gently sauteed in the butter with salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard powder and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder. When the onions are clear, add 3/4 cup or so of flour. Stir into the butter cooking and mixing for a minute then gently start to pour in about 4 cups of milk. When you have the thickness you desire. Add a cup each of grated sharp Cheddar and Gruyere. Cook for a couple of minutes longer. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower.

Mix a little more grated, cheddar, gruyere, parmesan and panko bread crumbs, scatter over the sauce. Bake in 375 oven for approximately 45 minutes or until golden.