I have cooked many of Daniel Boulud's dishes and they are always extra delicious because he almost always calls for a little more prep work than Americans enjoy. For instance, this one calls for blanching BOTH cauliflower and tomatoes.

What does blanching them both do for you?

Blanching the tomatoes is so you can peel them. The cauliflower... I think it pre-cooks them a bit in ample water, so they will end up tender despite the relatively short cooking time and not too much liquid in the pot. But honestly I cooked my cauliflower separately -- they're really good roasted with a little olive oil on a sheet pan in the same oven -- and just served the tagine on top.

That sounds wonderful and a lot better than blanching the cauliflower.