Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that is oft-relegated to the crudité tray or the worse fate of playing second chair to broccoli in a “steamed vegetable medley.” It deserves better. With a little heat and generous seasoning, the natural sweetness of this brassica really comes to the forefront. When roasted properly, even the stem is tender and tasty.

I really like this dish because it lets the vegetable stand on its own merits. It doesn’t require that you rice it, add a stick of butter and try and pass it off as “white mash” or any of the other slights of hand it often has to suffer through.

I’ve tried turning it half-way through, but I think I prefer having the two distinct textures achieved by letting is cook the entire time on a single side.

Although this recipe calls for thyme, any woody herb will work just as well. I’ve used rosemary, sage, oregano and even a little filé powder. Do some experimenting on your own and share your pictures here or on my Facebook page.

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 whole head cauliflower

Kosher salt

Black pepper (freshly ground)

¼ tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Olive oil

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Trim the leaves and stem from the head of cauliflower and slice it into 1.5” planks from top to bottom.

Arrange the planks on a foil-lined sheet tray with generous space between each piece.

Season liberally with salt and pepper. Season lightly with thyme and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Roast in oven for 1 hour or until the stalks are tender and the tops are lightly browned (with the edges slightly darker).

Serve hot.

(Serves 4)