Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata

This delightful and simple recipe is a result of getting inspired during a recent trip to the local farmer’s market.

I immediately spotted the snow-white heads of cauliflower glistening in the sunlight. There were no signs of browning on the compact little florets. The thick green leaves embraced the bottom third of the head. Everything about these cauliflower heads told me they were extremely fresh. How could I resist? I knew exactly what I going to prepare for lunch.

Cauliflower has recently taken on a sort of cult status within the plant-eating community. Suddenly, there are blogs filled with the latest ideas on how to use this cruciferous vegetable to make a sauce…or crumbled raw to resemble rice. Cauliflower is steamed, sautéed, grilled, pureed and roasted whole. This is very exciting – especially for a vegetable that spent a great deal of time being overcooked into a mushy texture.

But I’ve always like cauliflower – especially roasted with just a hint of curry…a preparation especially welcoming to a zesty gremolata made in the traditional manner and using only three highly fragrant ingredients: flat leaf parsley, garlic and lemon zest.

You can prepare this entire recipe in under on hour if you have everything on hand. I think it is excellent served alone with just a crisp green salad. And for me – well, that’s a perfect lunch!

Yield: makes about 4 servings