Brussels Sprouts Leaves

The head on top of the stalk

I bought a Brussels sprouts head at the Hollywood Farmers Market the other day.

I have seen Brussels sprouts stalks before, but never the leafy head that grows at the top of the stalk.

It makes me want to grow some of my own just for the decorative and unusual plant in the garden. Sadly, our garden doesn't get enough chilling hours to make them grow really well. Instead I buy my sprouts from farmers in cooler California regions.

But this was the first time I was able to buy a Brussels sprouts head.

I cooked the leaves as I would cabbage or collards. The farmer suggested I could eat them raw in salads too, but they seemed a little tough for that.

And I steamed the little sprouts which were sweet and tender.

Altogether a very cool experience. I'll buy these again.

The upside-down head - see the tiny sprouts?

Shiitake Mushroom Adventure

I was given a shiitake mushroom log at Christmas. I was pretty excited because I have never grown mushrooms before. And it came at the perfect time - the weather was cold and rainy, and our garage provided the perfect environment to grow the 'shrooms. The log grows inside a plastic bag, so it has stayed moist even as our days and air have become drier.

The other day, I picked our first crop - a bumper - and made this delicious stew with the winter vegetables I have in our fridge.

I often buy fresh shiitake mushrooms at the Hollywood Farmers Market. They are dark brown and thin-capped and very mushroom-y in flavor. The shiitakes I picked off our log are white and sweet - a different taste altogether and quite eye-opening. It's like the difference between a supermarket tomato and a home-grown tomato, but more so.

My first harvest!

I cut the caps from the stems and dried the stems on a rack on the kitchen counter to go into my next batch of vegetable stock. The caps added great flavor to this simple vegetable dish.

The key sauce ingredient in the stew is nutritional yeast. This is a good source of B vitamins and a vegan source of cheese-flavor. I'm told it's also good on popcorn, but I have yet to try that.

Vegetable Stew
1/3 cup chickpeas
1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and bashed
4 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 carrot, cut in large matchsticks
3 cups packed chopped green curly kale
1 cup water
1/4 cup tamari (natural soy sauce)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Cook the chickpeas in plenty of simmering water until tender, 2-4 hours depending on the age of the beans. Drain and set aside.

Trim the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Steam them about 5 minutes until tender and bright green. Set aside.

Shiitake log in its plastic bag

Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, squash and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and kale. Cook stirring often, until kale is bright green, 1-2 minutes. Stir in Brussels sprouts. Reduce heat to medium low.

Whisk together water, tamari and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Pour over the vegetables in the skillet. Stir and cover. Remove from the heat and let stand 1-2 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Serve on brown rice.

Serves 4

Fancy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Oven-roasting transforms vegetables and blends disparate flavors in fabulous ways.

This recipe looks a little strange, but is really delicious. The dates and pecans add flavor and texture - it will even convert people who think they don't like Brussels sprouts.

The picture to the right is of the dish after being reheated as leftovers. I forgot to photograph it the first time out of the oven when it was much prettier. However, the reheated leftovers tasted really good too.

Brussels sprouts are members of the cabbage family, so they contain all the estrogen-balancing and colon-health nutrients that cabbage and kale do. They are also good sources of folate, Vitamins C and K, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Plus they are adorable.

If you want to try Brussels sprouts but this recipe is too complex, click here to see my simple recipe for Brussels sprouts with lemon.

These tiny vegetables are delicious when prepared simply, but are strong enough to handle big flavors. They're definitely worth adding to the week's menu.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash with Dates and Pecans
10 oz Brussels sprouts
10 oz butternut squash or other winter squash
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup dates
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 large clove garlic
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut any faded outer leaves off the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half through the stem end. Put them in a large bowl.

Peel the squash and dice it in 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the Brussels sprouts.

Chop the pecans. Take the pits out of the dates and cut them with scissors into bite-sized pieces. Add both to the bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, dijon, oil, vinegar, minced garlic, and chili flakes. Pour this over the vegetables and mix until well combined.

Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and spread it out. Bake 40-45 minutes, stirring once or twice during the cooking.

Serves 4

Brussels Sprouts

I bought my Christmas Brussels sprouts early - I didn't want to risk the farmers running out, and they keep well in the crisper drawer in the fridge.

My favorite vegetables at childhood Christmas dinners were the Brussels sprouts, boiled then tossed with almonds that had been toasted in melted butter.

Long-time readers of this blog might remember Larry's childhood aversion to Brussels sprouts, indeed most vegetables. (You can read his post here.)

Fortunately, Larry's learned that even if he doesn't like a vegetable the first time around, after a few more test-runs he might actually start enjoying it. I think this is a really healthy attitude to food - after all, how many of us enjoyed our first sip of coffee or beer? Or the first puff of a cigarette? Yet we persevere, wanting to like these substances, and we learn to enjoy them.

If we all had the same tenacity in learning to like Brussels sprouts and leafy greens, we would be much healthier.

A common complaint with cooked Brussels sprouts is that they are mushy on the outside and hard on the inside. The key to cooking them evenly is to cut an x in the bottom of each stem before cooking. Steaming or boiling are both fine, just make sure to whisk them off the heat when a knife slides in to the center with just a little pressure.

In celebration of our Southern California lifestyle, this year's Brussels sprouts will be tossed with juice from a lemon freshly picked from our tree.

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon
1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Trim any yellowed-leaves from the Brussels sprouts and cut an x in the bottom of each. Steam over boiling water until barely tender, about 8 minutes depending on their size. You can leave them like this until just before you're ready to serve.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan large enough that the sprouts are in a single layer. Toss in sprouts and cook until warmed through. Add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again before serving.

Serves 2-3