Cheesy Cauliflower with Pleitez Produce Cauliflower

Cauliflower gets a bad rap - ordinarily it's best known as the filler vegetable in crudite. This recipe aims to change that perception. This cheesy cauliflower could either be used as a kicky side dish or as a replacement for mac & cheese (it received the official toddler seal of approval at my house).

Pleitez Produce had a great selection of veggies at the Leesburg Farmer's Market this past weekend, and their cheddar cauliflower really caught my eye. I had never heard of this particular variety of cauliflower, but it turns out that while it's not infused with cheesy goodness, orange cauliflower has 25 times the vitamin A of the regular white cauliflower you're used to.

Located in Montross, Pleitez has been selling their wide variety of fruits and vegetables in area farmer's markets for nearly a decade. The business is family-owned and operated, and all produce is hand-picked by the family right before coming to the market.

Pleitez has quite an impressive list of seasonal fruits and vegetables, including asparagus, turnips, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, and much more. In honor of their cheddar cauliflower, I thought it would be appropriate to make a recipe that incorporated cheese. I adapted this Cheesy Cauliflower recipe from The Food Network:

Cheesy Cauliflower with Pleitez Produce Cheddar Cauliflower

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 head of Pleitez Produce Cheddar Cauliflower
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup homemade coarse bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Grease an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish with the butter and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower in a small glass bowl, stalk end up. Use a paring knife to remove the lower leaves. Trim the curds off of the stem, keeping them as intact as possible. Try to keep the size uniformly large and make as few cuts as possible. Discard the leaves and stem. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Rest, still covered in plastic, for another 4 minutes. Uncover and rest for 4 to 5 more minutes while preparing the rest of the dish. 

Combine the cheddar, the bread crumbs, egg, sour cream, salt, mustard, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. When 1 minute remains on the cauliflower rest period, microwave the milk on high for 30 seconds. Add the milk to the bowl with the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Rub the large florets between your hands to break up the curds. Add the curds to the cream mixture and stir until the cheese is thoroughly melted and combined.

Spread the cauliflower mixture in the prepared baking dish, place on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish and turn the broiler to high. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top of the cauliflower. Place on the top rack and broil until the top is bubbly and appropriately brown, about 5 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before serving.