Cauliflower Gratin

1. In a saucepan, sauté 3 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of flour briefly. (Don't over-sauté.) Add 500 g of milk and cook, whisking with a hand mixer. (To prevent lumps.) Add 2 teaspoons of salt and stir. (If the sauce is too thick, add more milk.)
2. In a separate pot, boil 1 medium head of cauliflower whole in salted water, then drain. Once cooled, slice the cauliflower and arrange the pieces in an oven-safe glass dish. Pour the béchamel sauce you prepared over the top. Finally, grate 100 g of kaşar cheese over it and bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) until the cheese is golden. Enjoy!

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About This Recipe

Cauliflower, one of the most delicious members of the crucifer family, resembles cabbage due to its large leaves. A staple of Turkish cuisine with its rich menu presence, cauliflower is cultivated in two stages. In the first stage, seeds are sown in autumn in cold weather into warm beds mixed with farm manure — either by broadcasting or by planting in rows about two centimeters apart, at a shallow depth. The seeds are then covered with 1–2 cm of fertilized soil and watered with a sprinkler. Once the florets become fleshy, they are cut and harvested to prevent them from going to seed.

In Turkey, cauliflower is grown in the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean regions. The cauliflower vegetable is white in color. This is because its flower is enclosed by large protective leaves.

Gracing our tables with its delicious dishes and salads throughout autumn, winter, and spring, cauliflower is cultivated in Turkey in three varieties: early autumn cauliflower, winter cauliflower, and March cauliflower. Cauliflower is an exceptionally nutrient-rich crucifer, containing potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins beneficial to our bodies. Thanks to its high potassium content, it is known to help combat high blood pressure, lowering it and keeping it at a stable level.