I Love the Flower Girl ( Having a Cowsills Moment)

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head and you can't get it out no matter how bad the song is. For some reason I have been mentally singing The Rain, The Park and Other Things for about a week now.

"Then I knew (I knew... I knew... I knew... I knew)
She could make me happy (happy... happy)
(She could make me very happy)
Flowers in her hair (in her hair)
Flowers everywhere (everywhere)"

If someone out there can explain why this song is occupying my thoughts please let me know, and if this is the indication that I am deeply damaged please just keep that to yourself. I will confess that in the not too distant past I had a completely different song in the vault and it stayed with me for about 6 months. At odd times I would find myself humming and brain singing " Well listen to my story of a man named Jed" I would leave my brain to science if I thought there was anything there worth studying.

Back to the flower song...I was walking through Publix singing to myself when I saw it on the end cap of the produce aisle, cauliflower BOGO. It must have been a message from Asparagasia, the Muse of Flora and Fauna songs.
Before I knew what was happening the 2 heads of cauliflower jumped in my buggy. They were paid for and loaded in my car when I started thinking " Hmmm I am not sure we even like cauliflower enough to have 2 huge heads in the fridge at the same time"
I hate it when Muses makes me buy more than I need of any single item, but I was not going to use one and let the other die a slow death in the crisper drawer. After unloading them I immediately washed and dried one head and put it in a zip lock plastic bag. It's funny, if veggies are prepared we will eat them instead of chips or crackers. But that still left me with one extra, which I did not think about until about 5:30 when it was time to start thinking about supper. I guess I could have done the traditional steam and serve method but we have been eating foods high on the flavor index for about a week and a half and I was not in the mood for anything bland and mushy. A Google search led me to a new and different take on a very traditional vegetable. Since we visited the foods of Peru last week it just made sense to try Spain this week.




Spanish Cauliflower Salad

Dressing Recipe:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste or put through a garlic press
1 tablespoon small capers,
1 teaspoon paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt

In a bowl, lightly beat together the olive oil, wine vinegar, garlic, capers, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Set aside

1 head of cauliflower with the hard core removed and cut into large floretes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 quart water

1 hard boiled egg shredded
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Cook the cauliflower in a small pot with the water, lemon juice and the salt until crisp-tender. Put it in a colander to drain while rinsing with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and blot any excess water with paper towels. Remove most of the large stem pieces leaving just the pretty florets Put into a bowl with a tight fitting cover and toss with the reserved dressing.( The recipe suggested letting it stand for a few hours in the fridge. Since I did not start it early in the day our stood for about 30 minutes. Serve with shredded egg and parsley sprinkled over the top.

This was a nice piquant way to eat cauliflower. I served it alongside chicken seasoned with a Spanish smoked paprika, onions, tomatoes and brown rice. I thought we needed a little more color on the plate so I put the cauliflower on a bed of cucumber and red and yellow pepper slices. The Hub and I both liked it, but Son3 gave it a big thumbs down. To be honest he does not eat cauliflower anyway, but he found this particularly offensive. If you like the vegetable and wind up with a BOGO deal I think it is a pretty good and different way to use it. If you are cauliflower intolerant this will not change your mind.

I just realized there are little more than a couple of days left in March and I still have to do something vegetarian and a baked good. I need to find some new inspiration...quickly!


Now have a nice day and deliver me from the Cowsills