Corned beef, which makes an appearance on many St. Patrick’s Day tables, isn't the only food to which “corning,” or salt-curing, can be applied. Corning originally was named for the corn kernel-size pellets of salt used to preserve meat in times before refrigeration, but the method today is used to permeate food with flavor.
For a vegetable-forward take on the classic boiled dinner, we submerge a whole head of cauliflower in a spice-infused brine for several hours, allowing thorough absorption. Salt also weakens the cellular walls of the vegetable by drawing moisture out of them, rendering the vegetable more tender.
