Farmers market report: Cauliflower is in season. We have recipes

What’s in season: A member of the cabbage family and a close relative of broccoli, cauliflower gets its name from the Latin caulis (“stalk�) and floris (“flower�). While you can typically find white cauliflower all year in supermarkets, the vegetable is generally in season from the winter months into late spring, and can be found in colors ranging from pale orange and green to bright violet. Romanesco cauliflower, a pale green cauliflower originally from northern Italy, is known for its spiraling, cone-shaped florets.

What to cook: Cooked briefly, cauliflower has a robust, grassy personality that pairs well with big flavors. Add raw or briefly blanched florets to salads for flavor and crunch, or sauté it briefly for a simple side. Slice the head into thick wedges and grill or pan-fry as “steaks,� and serve over romesco sauce for an elegant and vegetarian main course. Slow, gentle cooking brings out cauliflower’s sweet notes, mellowing the vegetable. Simmer the florets to use as a base for soups, roast florets on their own or with other winter vegetables for a rustic side, or puree the tender vegetable with cream and butter to use as a low-carb version of mashed potatoes. Save the leaves from the vegetable, sauté the assertive greens and serve over polenta with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

What’s on the horizon: Chard, generally in season from late winter to early spring, is beginning to show up at stands.

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Recipe: Cauliflower with bagna cauda

  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: Cauliflower and kimchi ‘fried rice’

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: The Wallace’s grilled cauliflower

  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: Rice bowl with cauliflower, zucchini and eggplant.

  (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: Carrots, cauliflower and fennel with harissa and caraway

  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: Roasted cauliflower with freekeh

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: Mendocino Farms’ curried couscous

  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: Cauliflower steak with romesco sauce.

  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Recipe: Sautéed cauliflower leaves with soft mascarpone polenta

  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

CAULIFLOWER WITH BAGNA CAUDA

Total time: 30 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

Kosher salt (for salting the water and seasoning the cauliflower)

1 head cauliflower

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or enough to coat the pan

Warm bagna cauda (see related recipe)

Chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

1 lemon for zesting

1. Bring to a boil a pot of salted water large enough to fit the cauliflower. While the water is heating, trim about an inch of the core from the cauliflower and remove any large leaves, leaving the smaller ones intact. Through the core, cut the cauliflower into 6 wedges.

2. Add the cauliflower to the pot and cook just until slightly tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the cauliflower and place it in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Remove and pat dry. Season each piece with a pinch of salt and pepper, or to taste.

3. Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the cauliflower pieces and sear them on each of the two cut sides until nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a serving platter.

4. Spoon some of the warm bagna cauda over the cauliflower, placing the rest in a bowl to serve on the side. Garnish the cauliflower with chopped parsley. Using a lemon zester, zest strands of lemon over the cauliflower.

Each of 6 servings: Calories 229; Protein 4 grams; Carbohydrates 6 grams; Fiber 2 grams; Fat 22 grams; Saturated fat 7 grams; Cholesterol 26 mg; Sugar 2 grams; Sodium 276 mg.

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