In The Kitchen ~ Cauliflower Cheese

MrD came home with a couple of gifts from a friends garden.. a thank you for him helping to install new lights in their garage. So its been a busy week in the kitchen. I chopped up a couple of butternut squash to and froze the chunks in baggies ready to make some of my favourite soup over the winter

I also canned some pears in light syrup.

and a batch of MrD's favourite Chewy Chocolate Fudge Cookies... 

to which I threw in a few walnuts for a bonus. 

They sure are going down well...

This weeks vintage recipe uses a gifted Cauliflower and is a real British classic! A dish of freshly steamed or boiled cauliflower, covered with a creamy, cheesey sauce. It's a great side dish or a substantial vegetarian meal.We ate it lots of times growing up.

 

Cauliflower Cheese

1 head cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut the cauliflower into florets. 
• Cook in salted boiling water until tender. Drain.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the flour and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring constantly, making sure the roux does not brown.
• Remove from heat and with whisk add the milk gradually, to make a smooth, lump free sauce.
• Return to medium heat and bring to the boil, whisking until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon.
• Remove from heat, add the mustard, 1 cup grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place cooked cauliflower in a shallow baking dish
• Ppour cheese sauce over to coat the florets and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown
• Serve hot

This sauce is traditionally made with a mature English cheddar cheese, but would be just as delicious with Jarslberg or Gruyere.

You can add broccoli to the cauliflower, or for an inexpensive meat-free meal, add some cooked pasta

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x