Steaming is one of the simplest and most nutritious ways to cook vegetables. It is an especially good method to capture the delicate flavors of tender young vegetables such as turnips and turnip greens, carrots and carrot tops, peas and pea shoots, green beans, cauliflower, beets, and spinach. After cooking, the vegetables can be seasoned lightly with salt and perhaps a squeeze of lemon juice, or flavored with various vinegars, olive oil or butter, or a sauce.

Ingredients

　　2 small or 1 medium cauliflower

　　Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

　　Red wine vinegar

　　Olive oil

　　Leaves of 10 to 12 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped

　　1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs (page 40)

　　Cut out the core of each cauliflower and separate the head into florets; cut large florets into 2 or 3 pieces to make them about the same size as the smaller whole florets. Place a steamer basket in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, pour in water to a level just below the bottom of the basket, and heat the water to boiling. Add the cauliflower to the basket and cook, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the stalks are just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the basket from the pan and transfer the cauliflower to a bowl. Season the florets with salt and fresh-ground pepper, sprinkle lightly with vinegar and oil to taste, and stir in the parsley. Serve warm topped with breadcrumbs, or chill and serve as a salad.

　　In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters. Copyright © 2010. Published by Clarkson Potter. All Rights Reserved.Named the most influential figure in the past 30 years of the American kitchen by Gourmet magazine, ALICE WATERS is the owner of Chez Panisse restaurant and the author of nine cookbooks.