A sensible person evaluates a situation and chooses a path of action that is compatible with it. For example: a sensible food blogger whose kitchen is undergoing renovation would take a break from The Secret Recipe Club to be back once she actually has a place to cook. I did consider that option for a while, say… 5 seconds. 😉 So, throwing caution to the wind, here I am to join once more the virtual party in which bloggers are paired in secret to cook recipes from their matched blog.
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Last month was my 2nd anniversary with SRC, so this post opens my third year with the group. And what could be better for an “old-timer” than to be paired with a new member? I was assigned Vintage Kitchen Notes, hosted by the beautiful Paula, who just joined SRC. She cooks and blogs from Argentina, right next door to my home country. Paula blogs in English, but she also keeps another blog in Spanish – talk about blogging stamina! I actually tried to include recipes in Portuguese for a while, but quickly realized it was too much of a struggle for me. So, I am in awe that Paula can do it all! Her photography is beautiful, I had a wonderful time browsing her site. Let me share a few of her concoctions that were particularly tempting to me: 8-Hour Cheesecake with Roasted Grapes, Limoncello-Glazed Citrus Poppy Seed Cake, Chocolate-Hazelnut Mini-Bundt Cakes (gorgeous!), Pastel Azteca (gotta make that sometime), Roasted Radicchio and Provolone Risotto (go drool over the photo, will you?), and just to tempt my bread baking addiction, she has more than 40 different bread recipes listed on her index. I will just mention one: Soft Pretzels with Spicy Beer Cheese Sauce. I’ve always wanted to make soft pretzels at home, but that will have to wait for calmer days.
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Since our kitchen looks like a war zone. I ended up choosing a very intriguing recipe that required only the food processor and one pan to cook the pasta. Seemed doable under the circumstances. So, I am delighted to share with you my first experience with a cauliflower pesto!
(from Paula, at Vintage Kitchen Notes, originally adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)
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salt and pepper to taste
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Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water in a small bowl and let them stand for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Drain well and chop them coarsely. Rinse the cauliflower, cut off the leaves and hard stalks. Cut the rest into chunks, and add to a food processor, processing them until they are more or less the texture of couscous. Transfer to a large bowl and reserve while you prepare the other ingredients.
Comments: You might remember that Phil is not too wild about cauliflower, so I was hoping to prepare the pesto while he was doing something outside, maybe playing golf or trimming tree branches. My plan almost worked but not quite. I had cleaned all the “remains” of the cauliflower from the crime scene, but he caught a glimpse of the processed cauliflower, and…
What is this? some exotic type of rice?
This? No, not rice.
(quickly moving the bowl away from view)
Hummmmm… couscous?
No, not really…
What IS it?
I cannot quite tell you. It’s a surprise. It’s going to be a pesto.. A surprise pesto..
Pesto? Great, I love pesto!
😉 😉 😉 😉
Verdict: Two very enthusiastic thumbs up for this pasta! I can understand why Paula made this dish twice in the same week. One could imagine the raw cauliflower to be too sharp and omnipresent in the pesto, but it’s not. It is just a perfectly balanced dish, with the capers, the vinegar, the sun-dried tomatoes, the parsley, a real winner. I divulged the “secret ingredient” of the Secret Recipe Club concoction to Phil, and he was amazed. The heat of the pasta slightly changes the texture of the cauliflower, taming its raw taste. I highly recommend you try this recipe. If you use the reduced amount of oil I did, make sure to save some of the pasta cooking liquid to adjust the consistency at the end. If it still seems too thick, swirl a little olive oil right at the table.
Paula, it was great to get your blog this month, I hope you had fun stalking and cooking from your assigned site!
For a delicious collection of tasty dishes prepared by my friends from Group D of SRC, click on the blue frog at the end of the post…
ONE YEAR AGO: Carriage House Apple-Walnut Pie
TWO YEARS AGO: Chicken Marsala
THREE YEARS AGO: Home, sweet home
FOUR YEARS AGO: Levain Bread with Caramelized Onions
What an interesting combinations of flavors, can’t wait to try it!
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Isn’t that the truth? Unusual… but oh so good!
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This cauliflower pesto looks and sounds delicious with the grilled chicken breast. I know I’d be asking for a second helping.
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There you are… I promise to take a break from cauliflower, ok? 😉 Seriously, this recipe is amazing, and I go to the extent of saying anyone would love it
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A scrumptious combination and dish!
Cheers,
Rosa
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Great to see you, I hope you make this, it’s the type of recipe that will easily become a regular appearance at the dinner table…
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Oh man that looks amazing! Very creative ingredients–I never would’ve thought of it!
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Agree completely – would never thought of it, but now I cannot wait to make it again!
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Happy reveal day! This looks great. I LOVE cauliflower but I would have never thought to make a cauliflower pasta dish, and certainly not in pesto form!
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You and me both, I sometimes have a small issue with the smell of cauliflower as it cooks, but then I think about certain cheeses and how much I love them despite their strong smell, and don’t let that bother me
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So great to meet you Sally! And you made one of my favorite pasta recipes too! I can relate so much to your bilingual issues with the blog, it’s so much work. I’m always back and forth with what to do with that.
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Hi there, Paula! Buenos dias!
You know, one thing I did when I was translating the recipe was use google translate to start things going, and then fix all the mistakes and improve the Portuguese. It helps, but I decided to simply add a link to “Translate” on top of the blog, that can be used to any language. It gets some traffic, actually, I see people from Germany, Romania, use it often, apart from Brazilians.
Thanks for stopping by, I will definitely be following your blog from now on… 😉
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Wow, this sounds SO good. What an awesome choice for the SRC! Amy @ Fearless Homemaker
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Thanks, Amy… it was a fun recipe to make – and eat!
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Oh my! What a delicious sounding and looking dish!!! I love the thought of making pesto with califlower 🙂
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I also like to try a recipe that uses an ingredient in a completely unexpected way – especially when it turns out so tasty!
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Amazing pick! I had Paula’s blog last month and loved looking through it. So many recipes to choose from. I am not the biggest fan of cauliflower, but will need to make an exception for this.
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She’s got a fantastic blog indeed! I spent a lot of time browsing and of course I’ll be following her blog from now on…
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Sally that looks fantastic! I just wrote “cauliflower” on my grocery list. Great SRC choice!
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HA! I know the feeling… I hope you do try it soon, it’s a fantastic take on pesto… and on cauliflower!
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Definitely, a pasta dish to make one happy, Sally!
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Happy happy happy! Even the resident cauliflower-not-lover 😉
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Wow~ I have got to try this! What an interesting recipe~ Great recipe choice for Reveal Day~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
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Yes, go for it! I will be making it again as soon as cooking comes back to normal in our home…
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Yum, this looks like a delicious and interesting dish! I will definitely be saving this one!
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Jenni, nice to see you! Very delicious, I am sure you would love this recipe too!
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Yum.
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🙂
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Oh I have been looking for a recipe like this. Great pick for SRC!!! We move this past weekend and it is the busiest time for me at work. I debated about sitting out too but it is just so hard to say no.
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This past two months and the next will be tricky, but then I know things will be back to normal – still, as you said, it’s hard to say no… I could not imagine watching all the posts in reveal day and not being part of it…. 😉
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I’ve never heard of making pesto with cauliflower. This recipe sounds absolutely delicious! I just saved the recipe and hope to try it very soon! Awesome pick this month. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
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I love to try something unusual, and this recipe definitely did not disappoint!
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I’ve never heard of cauliflower pesto before….very interesting. Must give it a try! Great way to secretly get those veggies in! Great SRC pick!
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Hope you try it!
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this sounds so unique…I love cauliflower but I am the only one in my family who does. wonder if I could pull this out.
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I think you might be able to – the taste is quite a bit milder than normal
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I’ve never heard of a cauliflower pesto before! How fun is that?
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You and me both…. cauliflower pesto virgins!
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oh my oh my! You have done it now. This looks beyond amazing. The pesto looks so flavorful and so rich. A perfecr pairing with the pasta and did i mention its genius to use califlower in the pesto
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Genius for sure.. and all credit goes to Paula, I just followed her footsteps 😉
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I am DEFINTIELY impressed with your cooking fortitude!! I would have probably just ordered in sushi. 😛 I’ve actually made this pasta before but I think I did something a bit wonky with it because we were not fans. something about the raw garlic and cauliflower…hmm. But I’m glad you liked it!
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Can I share a little dirty secret? I did not add garlic… I posted the recipe as written because I understand our dislike of strong-tasting garlic is uncommon… 😉 But maybe also it could have something to do with how finely the cauli gets processed, so that it cooks in contact with the hot pasta….
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You are like me, throw caution to the wind and just go for it LOL I love Paula’s blog, you can’t go wrong with anything you find there 🙂 this was a great and very tasty pick!!
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Yes, I think you can call me a wild, wild woman… 😉
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Made this! Loved it! Reposted yesterday but did noy have your email to ‘show and tell’. Will be one of my favourite ways to have pasta methinks 🙂 !
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WONDERFUL!!!!!!! my email, in case you want to contact me in the future: sallybr2008 at gmail.com
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Thanks and noted! Hope you are having a successful trip!!!! love Eha
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Don’t think I’ve ever had or even heard of cauliflower pesto! So glad I stumbled by your blog 🙂
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THanks for commenting! somehow I only noticed your comment waiting for approval today… sorry it took me so long to get it showing!
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This sounds so good! Bravo!
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It was pretty awesome indeed!
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How exciting to be renovating your kitchen!! And I feel your pain since I just completed a move and am trying still to get a bit more settled. Good for you for casting concerns to the wind and doing this post!! Hope the renovation goes well, and quickly. I love this recipe, and am pinning it right now to make. It’s a perfect dinner for me.
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My kind of dinner too – a mixture of veggies with pasta, perfect! Moving is not for sissies, so I wish you the best of luck getting settled!
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Now doesn’t this look and sound delightful!? We love cauliflower, and eat it often, but I’ve never made a pesto before. This must change! Thank you for sharing Sally. Can’t wait to see that kitchen of yours soon!
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I cannot wait to go home and see our house and hopefully a lot of progress made!
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New combination with cauliflower.
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Pingback: Vellutata di cavolfiore con pesto di capperi e olive [Cauliflower cream with capers and olives sauce] | La Caccavella
This looks delish!
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I should make this again, we loved it! Hope you give it a try…
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