Cauliflower-based bites

The craze of ricing cauliflower as a substitute for flour for those that are on gluten-free diets has meant that cauliflower has become a valuable commodity and the price of buying one in a supermarket has increased significantly. So there is all the more reason to grow your own cauliflower, and a few plants will go a long way.

Just 4 – 5 seedlings planted out every 2 – 4 weeks will be plenty for a family of four. Most varieties of cauliflower are grown in the cooler seasons, but there are some varieties that can be grown all year round and in warmer climates.

If you decided to grow the whole seed packet at once, you may want to do some blanching and freezing or pickling and bottling. One of my favourites is making piccalilli. You can also make cauliflower rice and freeze that for use in many dishes, including pizza bases and cheesy breadsticks.

READ MORE: If you want to know ways to preserve cauliflower, read this article.

Cheesy cauliflower tarts

Cheese makes everything better. Try these yummy, cheesy cauliflower bites for a change of pace.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, divided into florets (6 cups)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• ½ cup Parmesan, grated
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 onion, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 spicy sausages, cut into 1cm pieces (optional)
• Handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
• Handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Tomato sauce to serve

Method

Rice the cauliflower by adding to a food processor and pulsing until fine crumbs. Place in a bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. Place on a clean tea towel and fold up to squeeze any excess moisture out of the cauliflower. Add to a bowl and then add half of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan, cheddar, grated onion, garlic and egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Stir in the sausage and herbs. Place the mixture in greased muffin trays and top with the leftover mozzarella cheese. Bake at 180°C for 12 – 15 minutes until browned and gooey. Serve with homemade tomato sauce.

Cauliflower Pizza Base

A surprisingly tasty pizza base made from cauliflower is a perfect alternative to flour based pizza, especially if you’re doing the Banting thing.

Ingredients

• 350g fresh cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 50g mozzarella cheese, finely grated
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• Salt and pepper

Method

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and reduce to fine crumbs. Place this mixture in a bowl and microwave for 5-6 minutes until soft. Allow to cool and then add the egg, mozzarella and herbs, then season with salt and pepper. The mixture should come together like a dough. Place on baking paper on a baking tray and form a circle about 0.5cm thick. This amount of mixture makes two small pizza bases. Bake these in a hot oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until they are golden and firm. Gather your favourite toppings. We used grated mozzarella, fresh cherry tomatoes, salami and olives. Place the toppings on the bases and cook for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and just turning brown. Top with fresh basil or microgreens.

READ MORE: Learn how to grow your own cauliflower here.