Roast The Unexpected!

Roasted Cauliflower, Fennel & Figs

One of my favorite things to do is shop. I like shopping for a lot of things, but food is at the top of the list. I like finding great little ethnic grocery stores in my own back yard and I also like traipsing up and down the isles at Costco. I can not just get everything in one stop. I like the the cheese at one store, the garlic at another. I like to pick and choose and I don't mind making a bunch of stops to get just the right tomato.

Peter Meyer 4th generation farmer Meyer's Farm Woodbury NY

One of my regular stomping grounds is a local family owned and run farm stand Meyer's Farm. They are open from July to Thanksgiving, and have the best home grown produce around. They grow an amazing variety from beets, to cilantro to corn. They happen to have the most amazing tomatoes. Two of my favorites are their small white sweet potatoes and their yellow and purple cauliflower. On my last stop I was lucky enough to score the biggest purple cauliflower I have ever seen. Special picked from the back room by Pete who is 4 th out of 5 generations of Meyer's working on the farm. His son at the counter eagerly ringing up the orders. The colored cauliflower are beautiful shades of golds and purples when they are picked, after being roasted the colors transform to vibrant irresistible hues that you can't wait to indulge on.

I thought I would pair the cauliflower from the farm with some unexpected Fennel and sweet figs. It ended up to be an amazing combination.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil. 

Cut up cauliflower removing the core . Separate the florets into similar size pieces about 1 1/2 inch.

Cut top and bottom off fennel bulb. cut it in strips top to bottom, and separate layers.

Cut Figs in half top to bottom if using small figs. If the figs are large cut them in quarters also top to bottom.

Scatter veggies and fruit on baking sheet generously drizzle with olive oil and toss. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 45 minutes. till the edges start to turn golden brown. The time might vary depending on your oven. Check on it towards the end to see if you need to take it out sooner. or you might need to leave it in longer.

Plate and add another drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy !