Cauliflower — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Cauliflower is a vegetables available in New Zealand during April, May, June, July, August, September, peaking in June, July. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy cauliflower, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Once boring and boiled, now renaissance veg. Roasted whole, tahini-smashed, riced. Takes on flavour beautifully.
How to pick a good one
Heavy compact head, no brown spots. Leaves protect freshness: don't remove until cooking.
How to store it
Fridge with leaves on, up to a week. Damp tea towel if leaves removed.
Goes well with
turmeric: Turmeric's earthiness and mild bitterness complement cauliflower's sweetness and add a colour that makes the dish more appealing. Used together in Indian cooking in ways that have spread globally.
tahini: Tahini's rich, slightly bitter nuttiness sits well against cauliflower's sweetness. The combination is Middle Eastern in origin and works roasted, as a dip, and in salads.
cheese: Cauliflower cheese is comfort food but also good food. The fat and umami in cheese fill the flavour gap that cauliflower's mildness creates.
cumin: Cumin's earthy warmth adds savoury depth to cauliflower's sweetness. Used together in Indian, North African, and Middle Eastern cooking.
za'atar: Za'atar's combination of herbs, sesame, and sumac adds complexity to cauliflower that no single spice achieves. Cauliflower is among the best vehicles for it.
Recipes
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
Impressive. Barely any work.
Ingredients: 1 whole cauliflower, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp tahini, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 clove garlic (minced), pinch cumin, salt
Method: Boil cauliflower whole for 8 min. Drain. Place in roasting dish. Drizzle with oil, season. Roast 200C for 25 min. Mix tahini, lemon, garlic, cumin. Drizzle over. Scatter with herbs.
Cauliflower Cheese
The gratifying gratin.
Ingredients: 1 cauliflower, 30g butter, 2 tbsp flour, 400ml milk, 150g cheddar, 1 tsp mustard, salt
Method: Break into florets. Boil 5 min. Drain. Make cheese sauce: melt butter, stir in flour, gradually add milk, stir until thick. Add most of the cheese and mustard. Pour over cauliflower. Top with remaining cheese. Grill until golden.
Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry
One pot. Vegan. 30 minutes.
Ingredients: 1 cauliflower, 1 tin chickpeas, 400ml coconut cream, 2 tbsp curry paste, 1 onion, 1 tbsp oil, spinach, rice to serve
Method: Fry onion and curry paste. Add cauliflower florets and chickpeas. Add coconut cream. Simmer 20 min. Stir in spinach. Serve over rice.
Nutrition
One cup provides 75% of your daily vitamin C, 20% of your vitamin K, and 15% of your folate. Contains the same sulforaphane as broccoli (anti-cancer compound), just less of it. About 27 calories per cup. Recently discovered to contain indole-3-carbinol, a compound that may support healthy hormone metabolism.