My kitchen cupboard and refrigerator door resemble an apothecary’s storehouse. I’ve got an unmarked bottle of the North African spice ras el hanout, jars of three types of Korean pastes and all kinds of pickles. Add to that a selection of nut butters, which are too much for me to resist, plus a sampler of sauces and oils that serve a wide variety of functions.

I really don’t mind being a hoarder of different flavors. I love them all.

I use many of these ingredients for singular dishes, so when I find another recipe that utilizes what’s in stock, it’s a thrill.

Tahini, for instance, sat on my shelf for the sole purpose of hummus, and the ground sesame seeds occasionally turned rancid in the Hawaii humidity before I got to the bottom of the jar. But I recently discovered an amazing tahini-based sauce from chef Lee Ann Wong’s dumpling cookbook, “Dumplings All Day Wong” (Page Street Publishing, 2014, $22.99), which made me realize that I was clearly underestimating this sesame-seed paste.

You know how when you learn something new, it suddenly becomes so obvious that you see it everywhere you look? Social media, recipe searches and news outlets seemed to be selling me on tahini from every corner. I saw tahini cookies and tahini-sauced salmon and tahini on toast.

Recently, I made the best tahini dressing ever. It’s so good, I’m pleading with you to make a salad so that you, too, will have an excuse to devour this dressing.

If you aren’t inclined to cut up lettuce and cucumbers, enjoy it on something else. You can put it on anything. I think it could make a damn good potato salad.

I used mustard as a primary seasoning, but almost any spice or herb will work. If you’re looking for some variety, a pinch of cayenne or smoky paprika works, and parsley is lovely as well.

Here, I put it on steamed cauliflower, and it’s moved me to take back everything I hate about the cooked cruciferous veggie. In this recipe, the dressing goes first because it is the star of the show. Tahini, I’ll never put you on the back of the shelf again.

Tahini Dressing With Cauliflower

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 6 tablespoons water
• 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste (kosher salt preferable)
• 1 heaping tablespoon coarse-grain mustard or a pinch of spice of your choice
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional, see note)
• 2 cups steamed or boiled cauliflower (fresh, not frozen)

In a blender or using a whisk, blend all ingredients except cauliflower. (A blender is best, especially if your tahini has separated. If you do whisk, either omit the garlic or mince finely.) This dressing should be creamy. If you like it thicker, use less water. You’ll have about 1 cup dressing.

Toss the dressing with the cauliflower. Throw on some green onions if you are inclined, but you really don’t need anything more. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 250 calories, 21 g fat, 3 g satur- ated fat, no cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 7 g protein.

NOTE: Honey helps mellow any bitterness, especially if you have a bitter tahini. But if it’s fresh, you probably won’t need it.

Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Her column runs on the last Wednesday of the month. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.