Every year right about this time, my inbox gets loaded up with articles from various “food experts” making projections about what foods are going to be en vogue. So far in 2022 I have read about mushrooms, mid-80’s era cocktails (Long Island Iced Tea, anyone?), lab-grown proteins, and alternative milks.
While it is part of my job to keep an eye on food trend predictions, I am more interested in observing what subscribers order from our local farm box program. Our customers at the Fallon Food Hub have the opportunity to fully customize their box of produce. Each week, we make a list of the produce and products that are available from farms within 400 miles, then sit back and watch what people want. Last week we had some beautiful kiwis grown in central California that I bet would fly off the metaphorical shelf. We sold around one 20-pound case. On the flipside, we sold over 160 pounds of brussels sprouts in the last two weeks.
Thus, I proclaim, in west-central Nevada Brussels Sprouts are having a moment.
The surprising popularity of brussels sprouts in our farm boxes led me to have a number of conversations about the best way to prepare those tiny little cabbages. Our volunteers mostly prefer to oven roast their sprouts to golden brown, top them with bacon, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. A tantalizing recipe for pickled brussels sprouts has made the rounds on my social media feeds. And then there is our outlier who doesn’t really care if he eats another brussels sprout in his life. Then avows that he only likes them steamed. But concedes, maybe, if they are boiled a bit first oven-roasted sprouts with bacon may be doable.
I think that most people have an aversion to brussels sprouts when they are young. I really believed that I hated them and when we got married, my spouse told me that brussels sprouts was the only food item that he wouldn’t eat. I promptly ordered them as a side dish while we were on our honeymoon, and he realized that he was totally wrong.
Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
By Jennifer Segal
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup pecans
6 slices bacon
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, halved (stems and ragged outer leaves removed)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.
Place pecans on prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they can burn fast. Transfer nuts to cutting board and chop coarsely. Set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Lay the bacon strips out flat on the same foil-lined baking sheet, leaving space in between so they don't overlap. Roast until bacon is crisp, 12 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway. Cooking time will depend on thickness of bacon. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, pour rendered bacon fat into a small dish and discard aluminum foil. When bacon is cool, finely chop.
Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Line baking sheet with fresh aluminum foil. Toss Brussels sprouts with rendered bacon fat, olive oil, salt, and pepper, directly on baking sheet. Roast, stirring midway through to promote even browning, until Brussels sprouts are tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning then transfer to serving dish. Right before serving, top with chopped pecans and bacon. Serve hot or room temperature.
Pickled Brussels Sprouts
By Marisa McClellan
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 T pickling salt
20 peppercorns, divided
1/4 t yellow mustard seeds, divided
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
DIRECTIONS:
Trim the sprouts and cut them in half. Set aside.
Combine vinegar, water and salt in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil.
Divide the peppercorns, mustard seeds, garlic cloves and bay leaves between 2 prepared pint jars.
Pack sprouts into jars.
Pour brine over the sprouts.
Use a wooden chopstick to remove air bubbles from jars.
*** Note - if you are going to keep your pickled brussels sprouts in the refrigerator, you can just put the lids on and you are done. If you want your sprouts to be shelf stable for storage in the pantry then follow the steps below:
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from canner and let cool on a folded towel.
When jars are cool, test seals. If seals are good, jars can be stored in pantry (any unsealed jars should be refrigerated). Give pickles at least 48 hours before you eat them, so that the brine fully penetrates the sprouts.
Sealed jars will keep up to one year on the pantry shelf.
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