Grilled cauliflower with tomato, dill and capers

I eat lots of vegetables, every day. I like almost any kind of veggies and enjoy having them in several different ways: raw in salads, boiled. steamed, roasted, sauted as a side dish, with pasta or rice or other grains, in soups, in quiches ... in short, I eat some kind of veggies at every single meal (except breakfast). For this reason I like to try and create always new recipes containing vegetables and also alternate during the week different varieties of seasonal products. Among all the vegetables I already know - in fact there are some that I have never tried or cooked by myself, because they are not farmed or available in Italy - I have some favorites, that I could eat every day (to name a few, tomato, green salad, broccoli, eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and others). But cauliflower doesn't belong to this group. I can't say I don't like it (actually there are only few types of vegetables that I really don't like so far), but I find it a bit tough, so I do not prepare it very often.
But considering that cauliflower is in season (go to The Farmer Market on the Terrace for a fresh local, organic product) and that it contains many nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals) which are so important for our health and well-being, I try to include it in my rotation and prepare it in some appetizing way.
I recently made Grilled broccoli with chile and garlic from  "Ottolenghi The Cookbook" and I liked much the flavor added to the vegetable by the grilling treatment, so I wanted to try a recipe for cauliflower (from the same book) using the same cooking technique. And I did well. The boiled then grilled cauliflower, mixed with other flavorful ingredients in a unusual combination, was a good surprise: an healthy, tasty and seasonal side dish which goes particularly well with chicken or turkey dishes.

Grilled cauliflower with tomato, dill and capers

adapted from "Ottolenghi- The cookbook"

serves 2 to 4

2 tbsp capers, drained and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp French whole-grain mustard

2 cloves garlic, crushed (I used whole and removed before serving)

2 tbsp cider vinegar

120 ml olive oil (I use extra-virgin)

1 small cauliflower, divided into florets

1 tbsp chopped dill

50 g baby spinach leaves

20 cherry tomatoes, halved

coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the dressing, either by hand or in a food processor. Mix together the capers, mustard, vinegar, garlic and some salt and pepper; whisk vigorously (or run the machine) while adding half of the olive oil in a slow trickle. You should get a thick and creamy dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add the cauliflower florets to a large pan of boiling salted water and simmer for just 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under a cold tap to stop the cooking immediately. Leave in the colander to dry well.

Once completely dry, place in a bowl with the remaining olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Place a ridged grill pan over a high heat and leave it until very hot. Grill the cauliflower in few batches - do not overcrowd the grill. Turn them around as they grill, then once nicely charred, transfer to a bowl. While the cauliflower is still hot, add the dressing, dill, spinach and tomatoes. Stir together then taste and adjust the seasoning. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.