Brussels Sprouts

I am wondering how these guys got such a bad reputation. Last night Mom dropped off almost an entire share of autumn produce. It was extra from her share that she was trying to get rid of! We now have a fridge full of spinach, carrots, red onion, turnips, rutabaga, kohlrabi, celeriac, cabbage, 4 different kinds of squash, and a stalk of brussels sprouts. Well actually, minus the brussels sprouts--I cooked them last night.

This was my first time cooking brussels sprouts, and I must say it was kind of fun popping them off their stalk. I trimmed off the long ends and peeled back any wilted leaves and found a recipe to carmelize them with red onion and red wine vinegar. Toasted pistachios garnished the finished dish. They were delicious!

I immediately started wondering about their reputation and decided to experiment by posting my cooking accomplishment on facebook. Within 12 hours, at least 8 people have responded with the way they most enjoy their brussels sprouts-- sauteed with golden raisins and hazelnuts, with bacon, carmelized with pistachios AND chopped dried apricot, chopped fine with pasta. These are not 8 of my notoriously "foodie" friends, either. They are just a random sample of my connections.

And so I'm happy to report that there is a place in our hearts (and stomachs) for brussels sprouts after all. And lucky us, because according to Wikipedia, "they contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fibre. Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin."

Bring 'em on!