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!

Broccoli Salad

This week we're sharing another delicious recipe using the harvest of the month : broccoli!

Some people like their broccoli cooked; some like it raw; but broccoli salad is a crowd pleaser for a number of reasons:

1. When you use fresh, local broccoli, the texture of this salad is perfect.
2. There is a delicious, tangy dressing...when was the last time you dressed up your broccoli?
3. There is bacon.  It is optional, of course, but it makes this dish pretty magical!

Last week's recipe roasted cauliflower to delicious crispiness, but this one lets the broccoli shine.  Enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

Adapted from foodess.com

• 1 head broccoli, chopped into bite-sized florets
• 1 red pepper, cut in thin slices
• 1/2 red onion, cut in thin slices or minced
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup cashews, toasted
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/8 cup sweetener (honey, sugar....)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, raisins, cashews and bacon. Whisk together yogurt, sweetener, and vinegar. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss well to combine. Lasts 2 days in the refrigerator.

NOTE:  If you're more of a cooked broccoli person, go ahead and lightly steam the broccoli, but just for a minute.  Its important that it still has that broccoli crunch!

Cooking the harvest of the month : Cauliflower Popcorn

One of the October harvest of the month items is Cauliflower.  Cauliflower grows well in Whatcom County, and is high in vitamin C and is a good source of potassium; it also contains phytochemicals which are believed to help prevent cancer.

I have met a lot of people who think that cauliflower is pretty boring.  And cooking methods like boiling or steaming that make the cauliflower waterlogged is going to turn most anyone off from it.  Eating cauliflower raw is fantastic, but lock in the flavor by roasting it, and you've got something super delicious on your hands!

101 Cookbooks shares a recipe for Roasted Cauliflower that is a staple around our house.  Cut up into little florets and tossed with olive oil and spices, roasted a bit, and then sprinkled with bread crumbs to make it extra crispy.  If you're looking for a gluten free version, just leave out the bread crumbs...you're still going to get an extra delicious lunch / snack / dinner treat!

Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 cup bread crumbs

1 medium head of cauliflower

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh red chile pepper, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place racks in the middle of the oven

Cut the cauliflower into small trees, discarding large pieces of stem and the leaves.

In a big bowl, toss the cauliflower with a few generous tablespoons of olive oil and the salt. Place it in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and put it into the oven. 

Add the bread crumbs, chiles, and garlic to the bowl that had the cauliflower - it should still have some oil.  If not, add a teaspoon or two, and mix.

After 15-20 minutes in the oven,  pull the pan out of the oven, rotate each piece of cauliflower so that another side will get some color, and then sprinkle the entire pan with the breadcrumb mixture. Return the pan to the oven and finish with another 10 minutes or so. The cauliflower should be tender throughout and the breadcrumbs nicely toasted. 

Serve immediately!

Some variations / additions:

• Add some cumin and lemon juice, either as a substitution for the garlic and chiles or as an addition!
• Use these instead of croutons on top of a bowl of soup!
• Use your favorite curry paste or dry mix with the oil for a tasty treat!
• Turn this into a soup by adding broth and cream, and pureeing!

Please visit 101 Cookbooks for more fantastic recipes.

Making Salsa

Cooking is an important part of seed to table education, and we harvest and cook with kids as often as we can in our programming.

We think that if kids see their food go from seed to plant to plate, they're more likely to give it a try!  We enjoyed some of our edible plants this past week by making salsa!

We were able to harvest cherry tomatoes and bell pepper from the greenhouse.

Everyone had a job in the kitchen, from grating onion to pressing garlic and cutting tomatoes, everyone was able to contribute to the finished product!  

You can see our salsa recipe right here...try it yourself!