Cauliflower couscous

Cauliflower. It's never been a favourite of mine. But I'm really feeling the love for it at the moment. Maybe my taste buds have changed (matured or faded?) as I've got a little older. Maybe it's just trying some interesting new dishes - see also the cauliflower based "pizza" from last week. Not so long ago my cauliflower repertoire didn't extend much beyond cauliflower cheese, cauliflower soup, and cauliflower curry, so I've really enjoyed trying some new dishes.

One of the great things about cauliflower is that British-grown cauliflower is available almost all year round. Prices vary, but it's usually a good-value veg. I take great delight in buying two large caulis for a pound at Brixton farmers' market on a Sunday, and always pick the heftiest specimens I can find. Two large cauliflowers does tend to mean I spend most of the following week eating cauliflower - so don't be surprised to see some more cauliflower recipes on here soon.

The cauliflower in this recipe, like the pizza I mentioned above, isn't immediately obvious. You turn it into tiny little grains that resemble couscous. Not long ago I hadn't come across any recipes that used cauliflower in this way, and now I've seen at least half a dozen. This is my tabbouleh-style version. It makes a great picnic dish or packed lunch, or you could serve it as an accompaniment at a barbecue. Plus, it's ideal for any gluten-free guests you may have.

Try to make it when you have nice ripe, juicy tomatoes, otherwise it won't be the same.

Ingredients

About half a medium head of cauliflower
2 spring onions
4 ripe, juicy tomatoes (or slightly fewer if they are very large)
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp flatleaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sumac (optional)

Method

Break the cauliflower into pieces and pulse in a food processor until it resembles small grains like couscous. Slice the spring onions thinly and dice the tomatoes (remove the seeds if you wish, though I don't bother). Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.

Variations: Traditional tabbouleh has lots of parsley in it, so feel free to add more if you like parsley. Or you could leave it out and add some extra spring onion and mint. Diced cucumber, olives, and crumbled feta would be worthwhile additions too.