Cauliflower

Cauliflower may have originated in the Middle East, and it has been grown in Italy since the fifteenth century. It was subsequently distributed to other parts of Europe and was cultivated in North America by the late 1600s. By the late eighteenth century, recipes were published in American cookbooks for boiling, frying, or stewing cauliflower; early recipes were also offered for pickling, and pickled cauliflower was served when fresh vegetables were unavailable and as a condiment. In the nineteenth century, cauliflower cookery expanded. Sometimes boiled in milk to gentle its flavor, cauliflower was sauced, usually with a butter or white sauce, and served as a side dish with meats; it was also sieved to make creamy soups.