PLAN NO. 5
DAY 1: RECIPE
Rhubarb-glazed cauliflower with a salad of farro, snap peas, and dandelion
Overview: Cook the farro, make a sauce, chop some veggies, and roast and glaze the cauliflower.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500℉ with the fan on. Adjust your highest oven rack so it’s about six inches from the top of the oven.
- Cook the farro. Add the farro, 1 quart of water, and a big pinch of salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the farro has softened but still has some bite. Season the farro to taste and allow it to cool in the cooking liquid. This helps the farro absorb the salt.
- Make the rhubarb sauce. Combine all the ingredients, along with ¼ cup of water, in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
- Toss the salad. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt. Let this stand for 5 minutes (see tip). Whisk in the olive oil, zest, and several cracks of black pepper. Add the farro, greens, snap peas, and rhubarb and toss together. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust. Set the salad aside while you roast the cauliflower.
- Roast the cauliflower. Quarter the cauliflower heads. Trim the cores, but leave enough to keep the sections intact. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet tray cut side down. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, and toss. Roast until the cauliflower is just starting to char (about 15 minutes).
- Glaze the cauliflower. Remove the sheet tray from the oven. Turn the broiler on high. While it’s heating up, coat each cauliflower section with 1 tablespoon of rhubarb sauce. Place the sheet tray on the top rack and broil until nicely charred, another 4-5 minutes.
- Plate. Heap a large spoonful of farro salad on a plate. Arrange the cauliflower quarter alongside the salad. Top with chopped pistachios, pea shoots (if using), and an extra spoonful of rhubarb sauce.
Tip
When garlic is chopped or crushed, it releases allicin, which is responsible for its sharp flavor. The acidity of lemon juice inhibits the formation of allicin, making it less sharp and astringent.
If you have access to a grill, cauliflower chars wonderfully when grilled over charcoal and tastes delicious.
Note
**If you’re skipping Day 2: Leftovers, reduce the quantity of this ingredient by half**
DAY 2: LEFTOVERS
Cauliflower, cucumber, carrot, and vermicelli summer rolls with rhubarb sweet chili sauce
Overview: Soak the vermicelli noodles, assemble and slice some veggies, and roll.
Soak one package of rice vermicelli noodles in hot tap water for 15 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside. Meanwhile, assemble an assortment of herbs, greens, and thinly sliced vegetables. Our choices would be thin slices of cucumber and shredded carrot, along with chopped lettuce and fresh cilantro. Also, rough chop your leftover roasted cauliflower.
Dip one sheet of rice paper (8-inch round) in warm water for a few seconds. Lay it on a cutting board. Load up the rice paper with raw veggies, noodles, and roasted cauliflower, leaving more space on the far side. Start the roll, fold in the ends, and roll it up the rest of the way. Do these one at a time (stacking wet rice paper is a problem). Repeat until your ingredients are gone. Serve with the leftover rhubarb sauce for dipping.
Rice paper is a little intimidating at first, but it’s just like any other wrapper. Think tortilla. What’s the number one rule for rolling a burrito? Don’t overstuff it. Just get it wet, load it, and roll it up like a little burrito.
SHOPPING LIST
EXTRA RECIPES
Rhubarb compote is a quick and easy way to preserve any extra rhubarb you happen to have.
