Here in Northern Italy we are heading into week four of our COVID-19 lockdown and after a busy work week of project management and video calls it’s nice to be able to spend some time in the kitchen cooking up some veggie comfort food. I made this dish with a Romano cauliflower which is truly a thing of beauty and some delicious creamy Gorgonzola cheese but you can also use a normal cauliflower and another strong cheese such as cheddar if you prefer. And you can mix up the veggies – I added leeks and courgettes but mushrooms also work well.

Ingredients

A cauliflower
A large leek
Two courgettes and/or a handful of mushrooms
A chunk of Gorgonzola (or cheddar) cheese
Butter
3 tbsp plain flour
1/2 litre milk (any type)
Salt and pepper

Method

First chop your veggies. It really doesn’t matter how precisely you do this…I sliced the courgettes and leeks and broke the cauliflower into florets.

Pop the cauliflower florets into a pan of salted boiling water and blanche for 3-4 minutes, no longer or they will become mushy once baked. Drain and leave on one side whist you sauté the courgettes and leeks in a knob of butter. Then add the flour followed by the milk and cheese and season well. Finally add the cauliflower and you are good to go. This is one pot cooking for reduced mess and washing up!

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Turn the mixture unto an ovenproof dish and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve on its own for a delicious lunch or with a baked potato for an evening meal.