This recipe for Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Hazelnuts is a but the pear portion ahead of time (the pears will brown so can’t be done in advance). I have been specifically avoiding vegetarian side dishes that bury the vegetable side in cream and cheese- I think I already used my Thanksgiving side allotment of that all on the Butternut Squash Lasagna in Béchamel sauce recipe I covered previously.

So gratins and casseroles were out. I love roasting cauliflower (well, really roasting any vegetable), and I’ve also made cauliflower into a mash – you can make faux mashed potatoes that way. But I was still looking for something different… and then I found this. This recipe is another preparation of cauliflower which is done on the stovetop  in just 10-15 minutes, and really seems to embody autumn! Bosc pears work well, but you could really use any pear you’d like.

The original Fine Cooking recipe calls for 8 fresh sage leaves, but since I already used sage in the  Butternut Squash Lasagna and in the Harvest Quinoa with Apples and Walnuts recipe, I decided to season this with  a different herb and used a mix of rosemary and tarragon. Rather than parsley, I had these spicy radish sprouts from Nightlight Farm instead, which I like better than parsley. Yum, microgreens beats parsley any day.

This dish serves 8-10 as a side along with your main protein- be it turkey or whatever you are having for dinner!

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets about 3/4 inch wide – about 4 cups worth of florets
• 1/2 cup toasted and chopped hazelnuts – you can use other nuts also, such as almonds or walnuts
• 8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, or I used about 4 springs of tarragon and a teaspoon of rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt + to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + to taste
• 2 large ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced (I know I show 3 pears- but I only used 2, the third was for a few slices for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or I used about a cup of spicy radish sprouts

Directions:

1. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until light brown and bubbly. Add the cauliflower, hazelnuts, and sage. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and freshly ground pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes more.
   
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pear slices and parsley. Gently toss to combine and warm the pears. Season to taste with more salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.
   

This is the fourth of a series of posts of recipes covering dishes to consider for Thanksgiving. All the recipes in this series will be vegetarian, so you might consider it for a side dish or if you have a vegetarian at your table like I do, be a way to provide something more hearty than the usual sides of rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Check out my Recipes Index page for other dishes that I have covered in the past.

Summary of the Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sides Series 2013:

• Mashed Brussels Sprouts
• Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, and Hazelnuts recipe
• Four Greens with Garlic Saute
• Harvest Quinoa with Apples and Walnuts recipe
• Butternut Squash Lasagna in Béchamel sauce recipe

As a side note check out that star plate that I first bought after college,  mostly because it was on sale and seemed pretty fancy. It also is not dishwasher safe but it would still be several years before I rented my first apartment with a dishwasher. Also not microwave safe but since everything I nuked came in a package from the freezer or in a restaurant leftovers container that wasn’t an issue.  Amazingly I still have the whole set including teacups and saucers,  which is more than I can say about my everyday dining set of stoneware that actually came from Facebook.  When we got married we looked at half a dozen places but could not agree on china so we continue to use a mish mash of dishware.

Do you have fine china or a full set of dishes or are you eclectic like me?