Cauliflower Salad with Pickled Grapes, Cheddar Cheese and Almonds
Ingredients
For the Pickled Raisins and Grapes:
- 2 cups green grapes, halved), divided
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ¾ cup, plus 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar, divided
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-½ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
For the Salad and Dressing:
- 2 heads cauliflower, divided
- 3 to 4 tbsp. olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 5 tbsp. lemon juice, divided
- 1-½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese, crumbled, divided
- 1 tsp. stone ground mustard
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ cup walnut oil or substitute with olive oil
- 1 tsp. crème fraîche, sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped, or toasted slivered almonds
Instructions
To prepare the pickled raisins and grapes:
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
- Put 1 cup of the halved grapes in a heatproof bowl; set the other cup aside for later.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the raisins, 3/4 cup of the white wine vinegar, honey, bay leaf, sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a boil, over high heat; reduce to medium-low and allow mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the mixture has reduced by half.
- Pour the hot liquid over the grapes in the heatproof bowl; set aside to allow the liquid to cool completely to room temperature.
- Cut 1-1/2 heads of cauliflower into small-ish florets.
- Save the other 1/2 head; later, you'll shave it into the salad, to eat raw.
- Toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, season with plenty of salt and pepper, and put on two parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure there's plenty of breathing room for the florets.
- Place in the pre-heated oven and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is crispy-skinned and quite dark.
- Remove from the oven; add 2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the cauliflower on the baking sheets and 1/2 of the cheese, distributing among both pans.
- Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until cheese has melted into a mess on your parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Remove cauliflower from the oven and immediately stir it with the melted cheese so that the florets are coated and almost no cheese streaks remain on the parchment paper; don't allow the cheese to congeal; set aside.
To prepare the viniagrette dressing:
- In a salad dressing container, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice with remaining 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar.
- Whisk in mustard.
- While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the oil.
- When mixture is creamy and emulsified, whisk in the crème fraîche.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
To assemble and serve the salad:
- To a large serving bowl, add the reserved grape halves and reserved crumbled cheese.
- Take the remaining 1/2-head of cauliflower and shave it with a mandoline into the bowl.
- Add in the cheesy roasted cauliflower.
- Strain the pickled raisins and grapes and add to the bowl.
- Add the chopped almonds; mix all together.
- Finally, dress the salad with the lemon vinaigrette, going slowly as to not overdress.