Lois T1
Tonight’s Tea
“Ex omnibus brassicae generibus suavissima est cyma,” as Pliny the Elder said, and who’s gonna argue with that? Not me. He was mad about his cauliflower, Pliny was. Had to have it. Cauliflower soup, grilled cauliflower, cauliflower au gratin, cauliflower with fava beans and a nice Chianti.
Not everybody is a fan of this particular cruciferous veg — mainly because they simply don’t understand it. For example, when the lordly cauliflower arrived in England in 1586 (and let’s face it, the English have a decidedly cruel history with vegetables), they called it Cyprus colewort. Cyprus colewort! A brutish name for such a lovely vegetable. Really, it’s no wonder Thomas Cavendish sailed away from England that year and didn’t return until he’d completely circumnavigated the globe. Cyprus colewort, indeed.
Look at this noble specimen. The modest yet majestic sweep of that leaf, the generous and charitable embrace of the stem, the provocative protuberance of the cream-colored curd. This is a vegetable that would grace any dinner table. It’s a cauliflower whose beauty would make Pliny weep.
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