the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 20 June: ME’s Cauliflower Salad

I’m not sure where it was that we first enjoyed this simple but delicious raw cauliflower “salad”, though you could just as easily call it a slaw.

Cauliflower is such a versatile workhorse in the kitchen and has been popping up everywhere in all sorts of forms these days; we happen to think it’s under-appreciated “just as it is” raw, as in serving it on your hummus tray, as crudite with your favorite dips or dressings, or in salads such as this.

This is one of those recipes to throw together, adding ingredients “until it looks right”, adjusting for your palate as you go, and you can use whatever olives and cheese float your boat. Try it and I’ll bet it ends up in your summer rotation over the next few months.

1 large head cauliflower florets, trimmed (the tender, small stems are good too)
1/2 to 1 cup good olives (pimento stuffed), chopped roughly
2-3 ounces cheese of your choice, great with a medium or sharp cheddar, or MJ
Approx. 1/2 cup homemade avocado or olive oil mayo (may need more)
1-2 tbsp olive brine
Optional: Jar of chopped pimentos, drained and chopped
Optional: 1-2 tbsp of fresh, coarse-ground black pepper

This one is a piece of cake to pull together – the most time consuming task is cutting up the cauliflower head; be sure to wash the florets well, then let them drain for several minutes before combining with the rest of the ingredients.

The beauty of this recipe, as with just about all salads and slaws, is that you can easily adjust the final amounts of the key ingredients to suit your (family’s) tastes. We never measure the ingredients for this one, and just add olives, cheese, and homemade avocado oil mayo until “it looks right”. (Try it as written to get an idea what it should look and taste like the first time around.)

Hold in the fridge until ready to serve, best made within 2-3 hours of serving.

Enjoy.