The white food worth eating

Nutritionists warn off white foods, but cauliflower is the exception. It's cruciferous, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale, so it carries sulforaphane.

A plant compound with teeth

Sulforaphane has shown cancer-fighting potential across numerous studies. That's the reason cruciferous vegetables keep showing up on every eat-more list.

85 percent of your vitamin C

One cup of chopped cauliflower delivers 85 percent of your daily vitamin C and 11 grams of protein, for 25 calories and 5 grams of carbs.

Under four dollars a head

Cheap and versatile is the real selling point. A whole head usually runs less than $4, and farmers markets carry purple, orange and green versions too.

Orange means more vitamin A

Cheddar cauliflower gets its color from extra beta-carotene, giving it roughly 25 times the vitamin A of white heads, plus a milder, sweeter taste.

Low on the pesticide list

Cauliflower sits on the Environmental Working Group's Clean Fifteen, the produce least likely to carry pesticide residue. No need to pay up for organic.

Pick firm, store dry

Mushy florets and brown spots mean it's spoiling, and leaves should be crisp, not slimy. Keep it in the crisper in a perforated bag so condensation can't build.

Don't waste the leaves

The leaves are edible and best roasted until browned and crunchy, the way you'd make kale chips. The head itself is a curd of undeveloped flower buds.

Skip the freezer, mostly

Frozen cauliflower thaws mushy, so only freeze what you plan to puree. Trim into florets and blanch three minutes first.

Cooking method is the recipe

The sweet, nutty flavor holds up everywhere, and texture follows technique. Roasting turns it delicate and creamy; a cast-iron sear gives you a crisp steak.

“Think of cauliflower as a blank canvas.”

Pulse it into rice

A few pulses in the food processor makes grains for saffron paella. Sauté five minutes until golden, then build with tomatoes, stock, shrimp and mussels.

Blend it into dressing

Raw florets blitzed with lemon, miso, capers, garlic and Dijon become a creamy Caesar with no dairy. Pour over romaine hearts and crumbled nori.

Bake it into dough

Pulsed to breadcrumbs and bound with egg and smoked mozzarella, it bakes into crisp flatbread. Same trick makes buffalo nuggets, cheddar muffins, even brownies.