I recently began to buy parmegiano reggiano rinds–because they’re cheap, and because I’d heard of some good recipes, like using them in stock, tomato sauce, that sort of thing. The first time I used them was with mashed potatoes: I wrapped a couple of rinds in cheesecloth and added them into the water as the potatoes boiled, and added extra grated cheese when mashing (with butter, and a bit of sour cream). That recipe was pretty amazing, and when I needed to use some leftover cauliflower, I decided to try the same method. It was one of those dishes that make your eyes go wide, and it will be a standard in my kitchen. The amounts are approximate.
Ingredients
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
1 cup whole milk
2 rinds of parmegiano reggiano (about 1.5 inch squares), wrapped and tied with kitchen string in cheesecloth (this isn’t as hard as it seems–you just need the two items)
1/2 cup grated parmegiano reggiano
salt
white pepper
chives, chopped, for garnish
Put the cheese and cauliflower and a 1/2 tsp of salt and of white pepper into the milk, and 
bring to a low simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely soft. Let stand 10-15 minutes, then bring back up to heat, and mash with a potato masher, to squeeze as much flavor out of the cheese rinds as possible. Remove cheese, and, with a hand blender, if you have one, or in a food processor or blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Taste, adjust seasoning. Serve in small bowls with chopped chives.
FoodIowa 