I like to cook with the seasons and when possible, with local produce…
Our neighbour, Alice Frezoul gave us a medium cauliflower freshly cut from her vegetable patch last night.
Meredith had worked with her in the beautiful late December sunshine on the essential exercise of de-miting the bees.
This recipe is in the Winter section of my new book:
Robin Ellis’ Mediterranean Vegetarian Cooking
Available for pre-order on Amazon UK
I also like both the convenience and look of gratins.
They often involve pre-cooked ingredients so the final stage is a simple matter of heating through, which means you can do an assembly job beforehand, heat the oven and hey presto!
The juicy black olives lend depth and an exotic twist.
For 2
1 medium cauliflower–broken up into bite size florets
3 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion–chopped
2 cloves garlic–pulped with a pinch of salt
a dozen or so, juicy black olives–stoned and halved
2 tbs parsley–chopped fine
4 tbs parmesan–grated or 2tbs each of parmesan and pecorino romano (if you use pecorino, keep in mind that it is quite salty.)
2 tbs wholewheat breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 190c
Steam the cauliflower florets to your taste in tenderness–I like them a bit firm.
Set aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until soft and browned a little–about five minutes
Add the pulped garlic and the parsley and cook for another couple of minutes.
Turn off the heat and mix in the olives.
Add the cauliflower to the pan and turn it over in the mix–seasoning as you go with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle over half the cheese and turn it over.
Taste for seasoning.
Turn this into a shallow gratin dish.
Mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over a tablespoon of olive oil
Place in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes.
It should come out sizzling quietly and nicely browned on top.
We had it with sautéed Brussels sprouts.
Not the most photogenic dish, but scores high on taste.
Robin Ellis 
I disagree Robin. It looks yummy!!! I will definitely try this. For our second anniversary 12/30, we went to a nearby restaurant.
My entree was roasted cauliflower, spinach and peas in a tomato sauce, topped with crispy WW pano crumbs. It was very delicious. Cauliflower needs a little help to keep it from being too bland. Your recipe sounds perfect.
Goody–and thanks.
You had me at gratin 🙂 I have a child (I guess 21 makes her a woman) that loves any and all veggies…I love to cook and there is no reason why I can’t get organized enough to make her one of your recipes. I live in Arizona and am accustomed to canned black olives…if I have to use canned/jarred do you have a recommendation? Thank you so much!
Find the juiciest looking ones bottle/cannedin olive oil.
Don’t worry too much!!
I can almost taste it! How delicious, and healthful. I’m in!
[…] via Cauliflower gratin with black olives — Robin Ellis […]
When are you going to have a TV series doing these lovely, healthy, inventive recipes in your french kitchen?
I’m ready–knives out!–let’s go…
Made this dish tonight – delish! – and pre-ordered your new book.
And Happy Birthday to both of us 🙂
Thanks, Ellen.
Robin,
Thank you for sharing another delicious recipe! This evening is the second time I’ve prepared it. I always wondered how to cook cauliflower, and make it taste good. Now I know!
Best wishes,
Linda in Southern California
There are other delicious cauliflower recipes in the books!
I tried this out for the first time last night and it was one of the most delicious meals I have ever had. Thank you for sharing the recipe.