I tasted this scrumptious cauliflower dishĀ at The Well Fed Community Garden in RaleighĀ in late May whenĀ Arthur Gordon, of Irregardless Cafe fame, created the dish on the spot! He gathered up whatever looked fresh and interesting at the farmerās market along with herbs growing in the community garden andāvoila!ācame up with this amazing dish! Iāve adapted it only slightly to serve eight instead of eighteen and made it a tad milder so it doesnāt bring on more heat in this sweltering summer.The complete dish is a cauliflower āsteakā that is rubbed down with a mixture of fresh herbs, roasted or sautĆ©ed, and topped with a red pepper cashew sauce. The first time I made this myself, I ran out of time and served only the first part of the dish, pictured hereācauliflower with herb rub. That alone was delicious! So, if you want a simpler dish to make for a July 4th bash, you wonāt be disappointed.
A third option, also simplified from the original, is to skip the marinade. You chop the florets, grill them (or sautƩ them in a little salted oil), and top them with the cashew sauce.
If you want to go the extra mile to impress your guests, I recommend making the full dish: rubbed cauliflower steaks with red pepper cashew sauce. The sauce is simple, and you can use it over any of your favorite vegetables. Iāve found it wonderful over grilled summer squash, plantains, and sweet potatoesāfoods I like to see on a summer menu!
Finally, if you want to replicate Arthurās dish more precisely, you can add some hot sauce to the red pepper/cashew mixture. Itās a flavor I always avoid, but I know many people love it!
Wishing you all the freedoms hoped for when our forefathers proclaimed their independence on July 4, 1776!
Lisa J. Mitchell
Lisa with Arthur Gordon, founder of the Well-Fed Community Garden and Irregardless Cafe.
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