39. Growing Cauliflower
I haven’t had a lot of luck growing cauliflower so far, so I have been doing some research for my (checks notes) third attempt next season.
My first year’s cauliflower crop was infested with caterpillars, leaving very little of the plant behind. They did produce a few florets, but I had planted them far too closely together, so the heads were very small. Apparently the minimum distance between plants (and rows) should be 60cm - I had planted them at 30cm apart. They do need a lot of space, the denser the planting, the smaller the heads will be.
My second year’s crop was protected by moth (vs bird) netting which reduced the caterpillar damage, but there were other problems. I planted them in freshly laid compost which was too loose, and didn’t heel them in properly. The result was unstable plants with a lot of foliage. They need very firm soil to grow well.
Some of the plants produced tiny flower-like heads early in the season. These are the stalks, flower heads and seeds which usually happen when the plant bolts late on in the season, and are the result of a sudden temperature change when they are young. The others produced very loose, individual heads instead of the usual densely packed cauliflower head. This, I think, was the result of erratic watering during a particularly hot spell - I was away at the time. The smaller heads were bitter and not edible. Regular and consistent watering is important throughout the season.
Fortunately my local farm shop grows their own cauliflowers, so I have been able to stock up on those. My favourite recipe is Cauliflower Cheese Soup, a regular lunch during my London working years. I use a Jamie Oliver recipe from his “Ministry of Food” recipe book - really simple to make and delicious.
Cauliflower Cheese recipe:
880g cauliflower (1 large head), 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 medium onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1.8 litres stock (I use Marigold bouillon), 200-300g mature cheddar cheese, mustard.
Dice the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Break the cauliflower down into individual florets.
Add all vegetables to a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and cook over a medium heat until the onions are translucent.
Add the 1.8 litre stock to the pan, bring to a boil and allow the vegetables to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
Grate the cheese - the recipe suggests 200g, but I usually add more than that. Take the pan off the heat and add the cheese and mustard, stirring it in well. I tend to be heavy handed with the mustard - you should add to your taste. My favourite is a strong English mustard for this recipe.
Use a hand blender to smooth the mixture, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serve steaming hot with crusty bread.
I am rethinking my planting plans for cauliflower next year. Space limitations (at 60cm distance) will mean a limited crop. I will give it one more go, before reverting back to farm shop produce, and accepting that cauliflower is too tricky (and high maintenance) for my garden.