This week bloggers are sharing some of their favorite recipes for cauliflower with Food Network’s FN Dish.

My family’s most favorite way to eat cauliflower is roasted. And let’s face it, it never hurts to dip anything into melted Gruyere cheese!

The perfect, comforting, and filling appetizer for a winter gathering, fondue with roasted vegetables will please every one! I’ll even bet that those who do not like veggies will enjoy this.

Here’s how incredibly easy this appetizer or side is:

1/2 pound Swiss-style cheese such as Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler, shredded
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch (the perfect gluten-free alternative)
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1 cup good dry white wine
Juice of half a lemon juice
1 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy), optional
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Assorted dipping foods such as day-old French bread, cubed, roasted vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower and cherry tomatoes. I love serving this wonderful creamy fondue with sliced apples and pears, tossed in a little lemon juice to keep them browning as well. By including vegetables and fruit for your special guests who prefer gluten-free recipes can enjoy this fondue as well!

Place the shredded cheese and cornstarch in a plastic freezer bag. Seal, shake to coat the cheese with flour or cornstarch. Set aside.

Rub the inside of a 4-quart pot with the cut garlic, then discard. Add the wine and lemon juice to the pot, and bring to a low simmer on medium heat. Bit by bit, slowly stir the cheese into the wine. Stir constantly in a zig-zag pattern to prevent the cheese from seizing and balling up. Cook just until the cheese is melted and creamy. Do not let boil. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in kirsch, mustard and nutmeg.

Transfer the cheese to a fondue serving pot, set over a low flame to keep warm. If your pot is thin-bottomed, a lit candle will probably do. If thick-bottomed, you can use a small Sterno.

Arrange various dipping foods around the fondue pot. A lazy Susan works great! I purchased a beautiful round ceramic tray which held all of my vegetables and then I placed a basket of assorted breads next to the fondue as well. I placed skewers in a tall glass skinny (unlike me ; – ) glass vase for ease. I alwasy place a small ladle on a plate so that people can just pour some of the fondue in their plates if they choose.

To eat, spear dipping foods with fondue forks or small forks. Dip to coat with the cheese, and eat.

A ceramic fondue pot is alwasy best because the metal pots tend to burn the cheese. If you do not have a ceramic fondue pot, you can use a small crock pot like I do sometimes! It works perfectly on low!

Roasted Vegetables

1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
Bunch of asparagus
3 to 4 carrots, peeled and diced
Bunch of beautiful red grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp or so olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
Zest of one lemon

Place your vegetables in your roasting pan, I actually like to use the bottom of my broiler pan. I place all of the vegetables in columns. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I never mix the vegetables together…the carrots are together, the broccoli is together and so on. Each vegetable cooks at a different time. Be sure to stir the vegetables half way through the roasting process. Do not over cook your vegetables. Once out of the oven, zest on lemon all over your vegetables and enjoy!

Be sure to stop by and visit all of my firneds who have shared their favorite cauliflower recipes as well!

 

Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Roasted Cauliflower and Bulgur Salad
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Roasted Garlic Cauliflower and Potatoes
Feed Me Phoebe: Pan-Roasted Cauliflower
Devour: Cauliflower and Broccoli Mac and Cheese for Thanksgiving
Blue Apron Blog: Cauliflower “Mac ‘n Cheese”
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli with Cranberries and Garlic Breadcrumbs
Red or Green: Cauliflower, Leek and Pepper Frittata
Virtually Homemade: Roasted Cauliflower with Bacon and Parmesan Cheese
Taste With The Eyes: Saffron Cauliflower à la Ottolenghi
Domesticate Me: Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese
The Sensitive Epicure: Cauliflower Flat Bread (Gluten-Free)
Weelicious: Cheddar Cauliflower
Cooking With Elise: Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese Fondue
FN Dish: Comforting Cauliflower Recipes