Mark Twain once said, “Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education!”

In recent years, cauliflower has gained popularity. Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill in New York tested a new dish with this simple vegetable. He cut it in thick slabs and roasted it to a deep brown. The result . . . a delicious vegetable steak was born! For another delicious and fabulous presentation, roast white, golden, and purple cauliflowers together.

How nutritious:

• One cup of cauliflower contains 80 units of vitamin A, 90 milligrams of vitamin C, 339 milligrams of potassium, and very high levels of folic acid, vitamin B.

How to buy:

• According to Bert Green of Greene on Greens “A good rule of thumb for freshness is a faint cabbage scent.” Also, look for a head of tightly packed florets and is unblemished, free of dark spots.Small heads are sweeter than larger heads.

How to keep:

• Store in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Cook it within three or four days.

How to prepare:

• Rinse, detach the leaves, turn up side down, trim out the core, set it aside, and cut the florets into small, uniform pieces so that they will cook evenly.

How to roast:

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a jelly roll pan with a piece of parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower pieces with excellent quality extra-virgin olive oil and coarse salt. Bake for about 15 minutes until tender. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over the hot cauliflower. Serve at once!

Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education!