This years participation in the local CSA at Cedar Circle Farm brought many unfamiliar (to me) vegetables into the house. Kale, bok choy, and mustard greens all made their way through our kitchen this year. One of the more welcome sights late in the year was a stalk - a legitimate tool for home defense - of brussels sprouts.
I know brussels sprouts are not too popular in general. Last week I heard Jane Stern refer to them on The Splendid Table as one of the 10 most hated foods (how can you hate food?) in America. However they have always had a spot in my heart and about ten years ago Meg and I started making them a regular part of our Thanksgiving Day meal. My family can attest to this.
So what to do with this stalk of delight? Meg found the answer in this wonderful recipe that we cooked up the other night. It combines applewood smoked bacon (we are lucky to have the North Country Smokehouse nearby in Claremont NH) with apples (still using apples from our own trees!), red onion, some vinegar and of course the brussels sprouts.
There is always the question of how much to cook the brussels sprouts - you want them tender but not too chewy. I cooked them more than the recipe called for but they were still a bit underdone in Meg's view. Despite their small size, I think next time I will cut them in half as many recipes suggest.
Regardless, they were wonderful with a tangy fruitiness that joined the comforting earthiness of the brussels sprouts. My family might just have another form of brussels sprouts to enjoy this Thanksgiving!
I know brussels sprouts are not too popular in general. Last week I heard Jane Stern refer to them on The Splendid Table as one of the 10 most hated foods (how can you hate food?) in America. However they have always had a spot in my heart and about ten years ago Meg and I started making them a regular part of our Thanksgiving Day meal. My family can attest to this.
So what to do with this stalk of delight? Meg found the answer in this wonderful recipe that we cooked up the other night. It combines applewood smoked bacon (we are lucky to have the North Country Smokehouse nearby in Claremont NH) with apples (still using apples from our own trees!), red onion, some vinegar and of course the brussels sprouts.
There is always the question of how much to cook the brussels sprouts - you want them tender but not too chewy. I cooked them more than the recipe called for but they were still a bit underdone in Meg's view. Despite their small size, I think next time I will cut them in half as many recipes suggest.
Regardless, they were wonderful with a tangy fruitiness that joined the comforting earthiness of the brussels sprouts. My family might just have another form of brussels sprouts to enjoy this Thanksgiving!
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