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 I have always wondered what the differences were between “normal” cauliflower and those radio-active looking colors you can find in your grocery store and this months issue of Bon Appetit inspired me to do a piece on it.  I love cauliflower I think it is delicious, although I am sure there are many people who despise it like they do broccoli.  I really enjoy cauliflower both in dishes and as a snack on crudite platters.  It is one vegetable that maintains some its texture no matter what way you serve it.  I have even seen it used as a replacement for potatoes in low carb diets, although I have not tried it this way myself.  I am going to make the cauliflower tart I saw in Bon Appetit this evening with dinner.  Keep an eye out for the recipe review. 

So did you know that cauliflower comes in white, orange, purple and green?  I think for many years most us could only get our hands on the white variety, but in recent years you can easily get any color of the rainbow. I know my grocery store carries all colors.  The white color in standard cauliflower comes from the way in which the plant grows.  The head of the cauliflower is not exposed to sunlight because of its thick leaves.  What causes the other colors?  Orange cauliflower is a cross between a Canadian swamp vegetable and white cauliflower.  This version of cauliflower has more vitamin A.  The light-green color is a cross between white cauliflower and broccoli.  The purple color is actually a wild plant from Italy. 

Cauliflower is a great vegetable to keep on hand in your fridge, as it can be stored for up to 5 days.  The good people over at Bon Appetit even have developed a cauliflower hummus, so if you are a big fan of hummus maybe you will want to give it a shot.