Go floret: 17 delicious ways with cauliflower

Roasted, fried or raw, this versatile vegetable is great for salads, curries, steaks and tapas. And don't forget the always comforting cauliflower cheese

In culinary terms, cauliflower is often described as a blank canvas, partly because it does not taste of much on its own, but also because it is so very, very white. These days, cauliflower also comes in coloured versions: yellow, orange, purple or the pale green of the fractal-patterned romanesco variety.

But if you are buying the white stuff, it should be snow white, with no grey or brown patches or dark flecks. The florets should be dense and firm, and should not smell in the least cabbagey - past-it cauliflower will only become more sulphurous with cooking. Remember, a blank canvas is what you are after.