Posted on 04/20/2018 8:33:07 PM PDT by SamAdams76
All my life I’ve had a thing for the underdog. Be it the passed over toy as a little girl or the loser boyfriend as a teenager, I guess I took the ugly duckling fairy tale to heart. Now in my adulthood, I have taken the poor, rejected, locally grown vegetables under my wing—the underutilized, the newly-trendy, the formerly beloved fallen out of modern favor, or the just plain weird.
In the case of Brussels sprouts, they are a vegetable all too often cooked very wrong and, hence, tend to carry a bad rap. Who wouldn’t hate Brussels sprouts if all you’ve ever experienced were boiled, slimy, sulphurous mush-balls? To appreciate these poor, abused little sprouts, you first have to know not to over-boil them. You then need to be willing to experiment. And it helps to get them fresh from a local grower right after a nice fall frost.
Like fall-harvested carrots and overwintered parsnips and spinach, freezing temperatures cause the sugar content of Brussels sprouts to shoot up, acting as anti-freeze—what a tasty survival mechanism! Not only is this the cheapest time of year to buy Brussels sprouts, but it’s by far the tastiest. Look at your farmers market for whole stalks with their little sprouts still attached, and you’ll get to walk around feeling really cool with this bizarre, knobby, green club sticking out of your bag (please don’t use it as a weapon, no matter how tempting).
If you think those harvested stalks at the market look rad, you should see a field of Brussels sprouts at maturity. Resembling exotic, Jurassic-park-like, mini palm trees, the three- to four-foot tall plants have a single stem covered in Brussels sprout “buttons” spiraling up from its base to the umbrella-like leaves. (If you crawled around on the ground between the rows you could pretty easily pretend you’re a dinosaur.)
If you simply must have off-season sprouts, you can buy them almost year-round if you look hard enough—central California, with its perfect-for-brassicas long, cool, humid growing season produces them June through January, and Mexico picks up the slack from December through June. Personally, I like to get my fill of them during our local, frost-sweetened sprout season in October and November so that I’m not tempted by the nine dollar per pound, bitter, pale ones in March.
Timed right, Brussels sprouts will hold out in the field through many light frosts, extending the harvest for several weeks. If harvested on the stalk, they will keep in a 33 to 34 degree root cellar, basement or garage for a few weeks, depending on conditions. If plucked off the stem, keep them unwashed and untrimmed in plastic in the coldest part of your fridge (usually the bottom back shelf) for up to 5 weeks.
I do like boiling them up and slathering them with butter.
I hate peas, but I LOVE Brussel Spouts!
How weird am I?
I microwave them - they cook through, are tender and not dry and not burnt. Put whatever seasoning you fancy on them and enjoy (I just like a little butter and salt).
Must be a way to deep-fry them. Anything and I mean anything tastes good after it has been deep-fried. The ultimate test would be Brussels sprouts and I’m guessing that it would falsify my theory. Some things are just not meant for human consumption.
Leave it to Beaver! My mom pulled that crap on me too. I’m sure all the other diners appreciated a wailing 4 year old.
Back OT roasted Brussel sprouts....yum.
The only peas I like are right off the vine or in split pea soup.
Canned peas are nasty and frozen peas are tough
If fresh, they are sweet as sugar and full of vitamins. Wait a few days and they are bitter and horrible.
My best and only way to enjoy them is 30 seconds to one minute in the microwave. That's all, nothing else.
Steam them (use baby size or cut big ones in half first) and turn them out in a bowl when done. Toss hot sprouts with a pat of butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and some grated parmesan. Top with a tiny pinch of nutmeg. Mmmmm!
I like ‘em pretty much however. I’ve baked them in the oven which is good, but I also like them boiled and kind of bitter with just some butter and salt.
This time of year I am over sprouts. They are for fall. Not in season. Asparagus is where it is at. 425 for 20 to 25 minutes depending on diameter. First break one to find the height of the good part. Then cut the rest to that length. EVOO Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper in a flat rectangular vessel and toss (Balsamic reduction optional). Foil a cookie sheet and toss them on. One of the joys of spring.
ps, I do love sprouts but this isn’t their season. Will try your recipe in the fall.
Best with lot of butter, vinegar, pepper...
Like ‘we’ used to say, enough hot sauce and garlic and horseradish you can eat ‘horse apples’....
Didn’t Seinfeld comment about Newman not eating Brussells Sprouts (or some other vegetable) even if they were deep fried in chocolate??
The cool, foggy coast south of San Francisco provides ideal growing conditions. More than 90 percent of Brussels sprouts grown in the United States come from California, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and most of the Golden State’s sprouts are harvested in San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.Half Moon Bay farmer Mike Iacopi, who sells Giuti and Lea’s sprouts at local farmers markets, said the salt air gives the vegetables character. "At night you get that salty dew,” Iacopi said, “and it gets into the plant, it gets into the soil, it adds flavor.”
I didn't know that science improved the great little cabbages to make them so much more popular...
Local farmers say the Brussels sprouts renaissance began about 20 years ago and more than 5,000 miles away. Scientists at agribusiness giant Syngenta’s labs in the Netherlands began breeding different varieties in an attempt to mellow out the sprouts’ acrid taste.The program focused on compounds known as glucosinolates, said Peter van der Toorn, Syngenta’s director of vegetable breeding. The substance is responsible for the bitterness of the sprouts but has also been studied for its possible role in preventing certain types of cancer.
“We have tried to design combinations of glucosinolates that give the health benefits of eating these vegetables while improving the taste,” said Van der Toorn, adding the new varieties also have higher sugar levels.
Chefs picked up on the milder flavor and began experimenting with new preparations. Diners who had recoiled from the stench of mushy, overboiled sprouts as children were pleasantly surprised. TV food shows and culinary magazines began featuring innovative recipes.
This is NOT fair. It’s after 1:00 in the morning and this thread has made me hungry for a good serving of Brussel spouts sautéed in Irish butter.
And none to be had. ;-)
I’m over the brussels sprouts craze and have moved on to roasted cauliflower.
I boil them in a little salt until a deep green and eat them with mayonnaise. Nothing better.
My wife and I drizzle them in olive oil and lightly coat with sugar and garlic. Then bake them at 425 for about 20 minutes. They are delicious. I am still kicking myself for the decades when I refused to touch them.
Better late than never! :)
Baked with almonds and garlic....yum!
And rosemary...
My favorite is to steam them, then put them in a white sauce. Yummy!
Off point but roasted asparagus made the same way (without sugar) is also outstanding!
What kind of white sauce? I am assuming a cheese based sauce
Steamed and served with "Dat'L'DotIt" hot vinegar, delicious.
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