Brussels Sprouts!

Yesterday, at after school farm camp, we made Brussels Sprouts as our snack.  We cook with most every program that we work with at Bobbibrook Farm, and this current group of adventurous eaters have not yet cooked a snack that they were not raving about!  We've made mini frittatas, potato pancakes, white bean dip, kale chips, and more...but I was not so sure I'd be able to convince them about Brussels Sprouts.  They are one of my favorite vegetables, but they have a pretty bad reputation!  Its all just talk, though, because these were a huge hit.

We planted Brussels Sprouts starts in May, I believe, with the spring farm camp kids.  We have a short row of the plants, so there are about 10 or 12 plants.  They are about 3 feet tall now, with the sprouts on the sides of the tall stalk, just waiting to be picked!

We harvested Brussels Sprouts by holding the stalk and the sprout, and twisting the sprout.  We gave them a rinse and took off the outermost leaves that were a bit loose, leaving the tight ones.  We picked off some worms and goo and dirt...and abandoned some with holes all the way through, deciding to give those to the chickens.  Some just needed a little trim, so we cut off the "bad" parts.  Most of them were just perfect!

We trimmed the stem of each sprout, and then split each sprout in half.  We washed them again for good measure, and then we put them into our trusty electric skillet, which was heated to medium-high and about a teaspoon of olive oil in it.  The sprouts went in with the flat side down and we didn't overcrowd them - each flat part needs its own space.  We put a pinch of salt on the sprouts and covered the skillet.

After about 2 minutes, the sprouts were turning a bright green, and just barely starting to brown on the flat side.  We sprinkled parmesan cheese over the top of the sprouts and closed the lid again, letting the cheese melt.

The brussels sprouts were ready when the flat side has begun to brown - not yellow, but brown.  Sugars are caramelizing, creating a delicious taste and texture.  We served them up, and said "Bon Appetit!"

They were so popular - we could have made a lot more and they all would have been eaten.  We made a second batch that was not even close to ready when the first plates were cleared.  Children were licking their plates.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a plate that had a vegetable on it licked afterwards, but I take that as a pretty good sign that these Brussels Sprouts were prepared in a way that we should likely repeat again and again.

One of the best moments of the afternoon came after we cooked, and one of the children asked if we would be giving them the recipe.  I said I would put it online and tell the parents about it, all the while thinking that this is not a recipe so much as it is a preparation for vegetables.  Just then the same girl who asked for the recipe said, "Well actually, this isn't hard.  I can remember this."  That is an important part to the food literacy piece of Common Threads' mission.  Getting pleasure out of food is about trying things - flavors and textures - and then mixing things up a bit, trying things out.  This "recipe" could have been for broccoli or cauliflower - things that are delicious when they are a bit caramelized and have melty cheese on top.

It was a wonderful afternoon for food literacy in action, with delicious garden fresh veggies to boot!