Baked Cauliflower with Cheese and Shrimp

At the Saratoga Farmers' Market I encourage you to look for the colorful and exotic looking (and exquisitely tasting) cauliflower. Cauliflower is not just your bulbous white flower, but comes in some amazing greens, yellows, reds and in beautiful conical shapes called romanesco cauliflower! They are freshest and tastiest now, containing the most of their nutrient value (see side bar) and deserve to be on our Thanksgiving tables. The casserole often graces the tables of our southern Gulf state cousins and is an unusual, but very tasty way to serve cauliflower - and I encourage you to use the more exotic types for an unexpectedly nutty taste and colorful display.

Baked Cauliflower with Cheese and Shrimp
1-2 lb. of cauliflower
(I like mixing the romanesco
 with traditional forms)
1 lb. shrimp, cooked and cleaned
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup whole fresh milk or cream
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated artisan cheese
(hard, cheddar type -  
Longview Sunflower is
excellent)
2 cups water chestnuts, sliced thin
(optional - I         will use 1/4 cup
unsalted sunflower seeds
 when using the sunflower
cheese above)
salt and pepper to taste
dash of dry mustard
pimiento strips
1/4 cup sherry (optional)

Break up cauliflower into large chunks and steam until just tender. Make cream sauce by mixing butter, flower and milk (cream) together and cooking on medium heat until thick. Be sure not to let bottom burn - stir as heating. In a baking dish layer the cauliflower, then the shrimp with cheese, salt, pepper, dry mustard and pimiento. Add beaten eggs to cream sauce and pour over contents in casserole dish.  Sherry and water chestnuts (or sunflower seeds) can be poured evenly over top, if desired). Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until tender and hot.

The Saratoga Farmers' Market is now operating at its 2009-2010 Winter site: the Division Street Elementary School, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.