Golden Cauliflower

When it comes to vegetables' natural sweetness, roasting giveth what boiling taketh away. Take cauliflower: There may be little less appealing than a steaming pile of sulfurous, sodden curds. But acquaint them with a hot oven, and those florets transform into caramelized, crunchy-tender finger food. Try other veggies — green beans, asparagus, carrots, mushrooms (roasting times will vary). Just give them the oil-and-salt treatment first.

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 40 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

1 head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon or so kosher salt

1. Heat oven to 450. Use a combination of your hands and a knife to break and cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets and stem pieces. (If you like, let your child do the breaking while you do the cutting.)
2. Put all the cauliflower in a large bowl, massage the olive oil into it (another good job for a child), then spread it out on a large, rimmed baking sheet and salt it generously.
3. Roast in the middle of the oven for about a half hour, using a spatula to move it around every now and then, until it's tender and browned.