sumac cauliflower with spring pea purée

June harvest: English peas, spring onion, cauliflower, green herbs

My pastry chef at Greens SF (my day job if I forgot to mention) asked me what my "signature

dishes" are when I first told her about my conceptualizing of The Gathering. For some reason, I felt a little embarrassed to tell her of the dishes that I carry as the remnants of my Esalen Institute days-- sweet potato biscuits, coconut chocolate pudding, cottage porridge, and this roasted cauliflower with pea puree dish. Something felt a bit unglamorous to me about my repeat dishes, speaking to my Tartine trained boss who whips up the most elegant and innovative desserts I have seen (or tasted) in a long time. I conditioned this list by saying "I'm a farmer, you know? Like I make farm food." I showed her pictures of this dish and as she asked where the recipe came from I responded, "well, the land told me," to which she nodded and said, "then they are your signature dishes, and you will make them for everybody." Flash forward to my first proper retreat with The Gathering in Mendocino, perfectly timed in spring for the start of cauliflower season and mid-season for english peas, the land once again told me I needed to make this dish. Here is the recipe, which I recommend serving on a big platter with lots of friends and maybe some trees....

Recipe {ish}

1 large head of cauliflower (depends on your crowd, so just get enough for everybody to have some plus enough for maybe 2 more people just in case)

1 bag frozen english peas, or .5lbs fresh + shucked english peas

1-2tbsp sumac

1 spring onion, rough chopped

3tbsp tahini

2 lemons, zested + juiced

.5 cup + 4-5tbsp avocado oil

Salt + pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit (my mom has also down this in a grilling basket on the bbq if its hot out and you could not be bothered to turn on the oven). Cut your cauliflower in quarters to better access the core. Cut out the core the BY HAND break up the cauliflower into bite size pieces (this keeps them looking natural and also preserves jagged bits that will hold on to the seasoning). Place in a bowl, drizzle with avocado oil, add sumac and some salt, and toss to coat. Spread onto a baking sheet with room to roast (two sheets might work best if you a roasting a lot of cauliflower at once). Roast cauliflower for around 30-40 minutes, tossing every once in a while. Meanwhile, place a saucepan of water on the stove. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl near your stovetop, because its blanching time. Pour your peas into the boil water, and allow to boil for around 1 minute. You will see that their color becomes super vibrant, but not to the point they become yellow or brown. Pull earlier than later with a slotted spoon or spider tool directly from the boiling water into your ice bath. Let them hang out in the icebath for at least 5 minutes while you prepare your other ingredients. In your blender, add your chopped spring onion, tahini, lemon zest and juice, .5 cups of avocado oil, some salt and some pepper. Drain your peas, then add to the blender. Using the 'puree' setting, slowly build up the speed of your blender until you have a smooth and beautifully green puree (you can also add herbs at this stage!). Taste and adjust your seasoning, and when you are satisfied pour out onto a serving dish to be the base layer for your cauliflower. When the cauliflower is nice and golden, pull from the oven and place on top of your puree. If you are feeling it, top with chopped green herbs and flakey salt, and enjoy!

{As I was looking for pictures for this recipe I came across this archival image of the very first time I made this dish for my friends in my home at the Esalen Institute-- It was my second week in the kitchen, and I wanted us to make better vegetarian food, so my vegan friend invited our boss over to eat with us and the next week our vegetarian dinner had a completed menu rewrite... I would say 'mission accomplished'...}