A Man For All Menus
October 9, 2003
It’s wine harvest time and a nice opportunity to celebrate the change
of seasons. My eighty six year old father- in- law is visiting this weekend
to celebrate his birthday. Bob Dannies loves to eat and drink
well. I call him the Silver Fox because he is as fit and handsome as he
was when I married his son twenty years ago. What is his secret to a long
healthy life? He enjoys himself at table with no inhibitions and balances
that pleasure with lots of outdoor exercise and lively conversation peppered
with curiosity. A couple of times a week Popop treats himself to a short
martini before lunch; he swears that is the best antidote to the bacon
and sausage he adores. All of his favorites are on the birthday menu: beef
tenderloin with roasted red onions, maple butternut squash, and garlic
roasted red potatoes. I’m also making a new recipe to surprise him: Cauliflower
Gratin with Cheese and Tomatoes. If you’ve never been crazy
about cauliflower before, this dish will convert you. It is a wonderful
way to combine the last of the tomatoes with fresh cauliflower in a golden,
crunchy breadcrumb shell. For wine, a 2001 Vieilles Vignes Sancerre will
open the palate, followed by a gold medal 1996 Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon
Coonawarra. Apple Crostada and ice cream should finish us off…everyone,
except of course, Popop!
- 1 head of fresh cauliflower, slice off bottom stem but keep it intact
- 2 pounds firm ripe tomatoes quartered, or cherry tomatoes
- 2/3 cup melted butter
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs mixed with 1/c Parmesan cheese*
- Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
Rinse cauliflower, place upright in a glass pie plate, cover with plastic, and microwave for 10-12 minutes on high. Remove plastic and place tomatoes around the edges of cauliflower. Pour 1/3 cup melted butter over the cauliflower and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Pat the breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the entire surface and drizzle remainder of the butter all over. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
*To make breadcrumbs toast 2-3 slices of whole grain bread, crusts cut off, and process in the Cuisinart along with 2 small garlic cloves and the cheese.
Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008