On Sharing and Recipe for Curried Cauliflower

Wednesday…often a wordless one in Blogovannia, but today I have fewer pictures to choose from, so words it will be.

I am still debating the merits of attempting to restore all the pictures that are currently missing here.  I see it both ways.  I may in the end take the middle path of the Buddhist and restore those most popular.

As we move further into Autumn here in the Catskills there are many things to be thankful for.  The enduring magic of poking a seed into the ground and weeks or months later harvesting produce is always one of the most rewarding.  Watching the squash closet fill with storage items and the freezer fill with items as varied as garlic scape and basil pesto, black raspberries, and steaks is a very close second.

One of the surest ways to preserve the harvest is to share it.  In the days before refrigeration a large kill was celebrated and shared out through the community.  Surely some was dried or otherwise put aside (think pemmican/jerky), but sharing although not technically storing, is in fact a form of food security, insurance if you will.  The logic inherit in this type of sharing is so simple that I think we can sometimes forget.  When we are blessed with abundance and share freely it becomes not only a blessing for the recipient, but a compact with the receiver that when they experience abundance they share back.  How simple is that ?

We have been blessed with carrot abundance this summer.  We’ve shared out generously.  I may or may not ever get carrots in return, but I am certain that the goodwill shall be returned .  Not because it is a debt owed, more importantly I believe it is because we are a gregarious species always striving to form meaningful bonds.  When relationships are peppered with the sharing of abundance it enhances the experience for both giver and receiver.  Weaving community with carrots and salad, eggs or garlic is a way to remain connected.

Although I cannot share a head of cauliflower with my readers, I can share the recipe for the Curried Cauliflower I made the other night!

Curried Cauliflower Stew

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1.5 tablespoons of a nice curry blend of your choice…spicy or not so much

1 large onion- medium dice

2 carrots- cut into chunks

3 cloves of garlic- minced

1 large or two smaller heads of cauliflower- broken into florets

1 small sweet red pepper- diced

several leaves of kale, I used dinosaur kale, but any hearty green works here such as collards, chard, mustard greens.

1 can of coconut milk

1.5 cups of garbanzo beans (you can use canned beans if you prefer for ease)

1 pint of chicken stock  (homemade is best, but canned is fine I think I would choose a low sodium variety since I don’t use salkt in my stocks)

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro

lemon wedges

Directions

In a large Dutch Oven or heavy bottom pot heat the coconut oil until it is sizzling, add onion, curry, and carrots stir to combine and turn the heat back.  Add the garlic and continue to cook until onions soften a bit.  Add in the cauliflower, red peppers, beans, stock and coconut milk.  Put the lid on and allow to simmer 15 minutes or so.  Taste it!  Does it need some salt and pepper?  Probably, so go ahead and add some now.  If you like it more spicy, add a chopped hot pepper at this point.  Allow to simmer on low for another 12 minutes or so.  While it’s bubbling gently, cut the kale (0r greens) into small pieces.  Don’t make them too large, you’ll be eating this with a spoon, it’s usually a mess when large chunks of greens are hanging off the spoon ;0

Turn off the heat.  Add your greens allowing them to cook gently with the heat in the pot.  This preserves the color and texture, this will take a few minutes depending on which greens you use.  With kale, probably about 4-6 min.  When the greens are cooked to your liking, add the cilantro and stir it all together.

Serve in a beautiful bowl that you can wrap both hands around squeeze a nice thick lemon wedge over it all and dive in!

I served this with brown basmati rice for the crew.  A wonderfully hearty curry that tastes even better for breakfast!  Really.

Enjoy.

*anna