Cauliflower called ‘Superfood of 2015’

Cauliflower is gaining popularity and foodies say it’s the next big trend. The vegetable that used to be served with dip is now the centerpiece at the dinner table.

“It’s the new kale for this year,” Jan Taylor, director of market operations for the West Coast Farmers Market Association said. “It’s a very versatile vegetable.”

If you’ve been on Pinterest recently, you’ve seen the pins for things like cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza dough and mashed cauliflower.

You may have seen them at grocery stores and farmers markets in different colors like orange, violet and green. We’re pretty lucky it grows in our own backyard, 12 months out of the year.

“It’s one of our top ten crops in Monterey County,” Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau said. “It’s about $163 million worth of production last year, so we have a lot of cauliflower in the fields and probably more now because it’s becoming a ‘supercrop.'”

Not only is it keeping the local economy healthy, but ourselves too.

“It’s a very rich food with lots of nutrients and very few calories,” registered dietitian Michelle Barth said.

This Vitamin C rich food is a triple threat that can help fight cancer, heart disease and bad cholesterol. But watch how it’s prepared –

“Probably the best way is right off the crop because it loses the lease amount of nutrients,” Barth said. “The more it’s processed, the more nutrition is lost.”

Steaming, microwaving and baking are all good ideas. And if the trend continues, it’s even better for the $4 billion agriculture industry on the Central Coast.

“It’ll be a great thing not only for people who eat but the producers in the Salinas Valley,” Groot said.

Barth says cauliflower shouldn’t be considered a cure-all, a variety of vegetables is key. If you don’t have a taste for it, other alternatives are broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage and kale – all grown right here.