Tomato and Cauliflower Salad is a tasty, attractive salad – though it seems very old-fashioned. A hundred years ago salads were frequently arranged on a plate on a bed of lettuce, and this salad is a nice example of that type of salad.
For this salad, tomato slices are arranged in a circle on top of the lettuce. A dab of mayonnaise is spread around the center of the plate. The mayonnaise is then topped with the small cauliflower florets that have been marinated in French salad dressing. I made homemade French dressing using an old recipe that I previously posted. A hundred years ago French dressing was a vinaigrette with paprika rather than the typical orange bottled dressing that is common today.
When I served this salad, my daughter asked if she should eat the lettuce. I said that I don’t think that lettuce beds are typically eaten, but that she should go ahead and eat it if she wanted. I wonder why lettuce is generally left uneaten with this type of salad.
Here’s the original recipe:
I made several minor adaptions to this recipe. I skipped peeling the tomatoes. A hundred-years-ago tomatoes were often peeled, but today almost never. (And, I know from previous experiences doing various tomato salad posts that -at least by modern standards – that peeled tomatoes don’t look very good in a photo.)
I used less mayonnaise than the original recipe called for. I just thickly spread a dab of mayonnaise on the lettuce in the center of the plate.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Tomato and Cauliflower Salad
1 cup cauliflower florets (raw or lightly streamed and then cooled)
1/4 cup French salad dressing (I used a hundred-year-old recipe that I previously posted.)
3 medium tomatoes
mayonnaise
lettuce leaves
Put the cauliflower in a small bowl. Pour French dressing over the cauliflower and stir gently to coat. Set aside. Arrange the lettuce on plate(s). Core tomatoes and cut into sixths. Arrange in a the tomato slices on the plate(s). Place dollop of mayonnaise in the center; spread over the lettuce in the center of the plate with the back of a spoon. Drain cauliflower, and put on top of the mayonnaise.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Such an attractive combination.
The salad is pretty and sounds delicious. My fellows would prefer a BLT with those ripe tomatoes.
It looks like one of my 8th grade home ec projects. It was expected that the lettuce would be eaten, cut up and combined with the other ingredients.
Elegance on a plate
Very pretty and colorful. I would eat the lettuce, too.
I love seeing the abundance of vegetables at this time of year, Sheryl. I believe when meals look pretty, people/especially children will try the various dishes. Thank you for sharing ‘eye candy.’
Hmm. The combination of raw and cooked veg. doesn’t appeal, so I’d go for the raw cauli option. And I’d eat the lettuce too. Why waste it?
What always strikes me about these recipes is the care in presentation, food treated with almost reverence, presented to be savored.
It is very pretty and appealing! I had never thought about combining cauliflower and tomato, but it would make a complimentary combination especially with the mayo and the dressing marinade. Nice recipe!
How cute!
Interesting – I’m not sure I’d ever serve it though…
Beautiful plate! I’d used the French dressing ,the rest around here would use ranch dressing.
Sounds interesting.