Baked Cauliflower with Olives and Pine Nuts 1 small cauliflower Salt 18 salt-cured black olives, pitted and halved 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup chopped red onion 3 tablespoons pine nuts Freshly ground pepper 2/3 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into 1 1/2-inch florets. Boil, uncovered, in a large pot of salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Soak the olives in several changes of water until they no longer taste salty. Select an 8- or 9-inch shallow baking dish that can go from stove-top to oven. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in the dish over moderately low heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add cauliflower and gently crush florets into oil and onions with a fork. Stir in pine nuts, drained olives and a pinch of pepper. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, breadcrumbs and remaining tablespoon oil. Bake 20 minutes. Serve lukewarm. Serves 4 to 6. By Paula Wolfert for the San Francisco Chronicle March 1, 1995 middle eastern recipe index christina m k al-sudairy subscribe!