Brussels Sprouts, Two Ways

I like vegetables.  Maybe it's more than that.  I need vegetables.  When we're traveling, and I don't have many food options, vegetables are always the food group that gets skipped.  Carbs?  Yes.  Meat and dairy?  Of course.  There's even a fruit cup or a banana option at an airport or a convenience store.  But veggies?  Never an option while traveling.

This need for veggies started at a pretty young age.  My mother always had a vegetable option at dinner, and in the middle of January in Pennsylvania, it wasn't always an easy thing.  We did the freezer vegetables.  Peas, green beans, corn, they were tightly packed in the freezer, along with the frozen french fries, Popsicles, and that random leftover that went bad and my father didn't want to leave in the refrigerator until trash day, or in our compost, for fear that a bear or some other wild animal would come trampling through our backyard.

The frozen vegetables were always some thing I got to pick out, as though it was my addition to the dinner that evening.  I took ownership over those veggies and the choice I needed to make each night.  The vegetable always ended up being the most colorful dish on the plate.  I liked how the bright green peas contrasted with the off white pasta or rice.  And my mother always cooked vegetables perfectly.  They weren't mushy, they weren't slathered in cheese and butter, and they always had a little salt on them.  It made me taste them for what they were, not for what they needed to be hidden beneath, or hidden under the table so the dog would take one for me.

I never understood the hatred for these wonderful additions to a dinner plate.  Not only are they colorful, but some veggies are actually pretty fascinating.  Broccoli has this cool flower-like shape to it.  Cauliflower comes in shades of white and purple and orange.  And then there's the Brussels Sprout.  What is the deal?  Why does this vegetable have the worst reputation?  It might be the most interesting vegetable to a kid.  It's a tiny, all-encompassing cabbage.  And they sometimes arrive in a grocery store on a big branch.  How is this the worst one of all???

image via bbc.co.uk

I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this secret from Scott for very long once we met.  He had never tried one of these sprouts before, mainly because his parents were not a fan of this vegetable, so I knew I had only one chance to convert him.  Just steaming them with some salt was not going to work, but I still wanted to keep it simple.  So I steamed them, then sauteed them in olive oil, garlic, and a little salt and pepper.  It worked, and I felt that I really kept the veggies in tact, not allowing them to swim in butter and cheese.

But I started to crave something a little different.  I had read for years that Dijon mustard and Brussels sprouts go together like grilled cheese and tomato soup, or wine and cheese.  Scott has never been much of a mustard fan, so I went easy, and tried a recipe that just came out from smitten kitchen and went easy on the mustard.  You can kick it up a notch, but for us, this worked perfectly.

Brussels Sprouts with Olive Oil and Garlic:
Serves 4 as a side dish.


We love garlic, so we use a lot.  Feel free to go easy with it if you're not as big of a fan as we are.


1 pound Brussels Sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper


Trim ends and halve or quarter sprouts lengthwise and steam until sprouts are tender, but not overdone.  Meanwhile, in a heavy 12 inch skillet, saute olive oil and minced garlic over medium-high heat, until the garlic has lost its bite but before it caramelizes (I can usually tell by smelling the steam; if my eyes water, the garlic still has a bite.  If they don't water, the garlic is done).  Turn heat to low (we have an electric stove top, so I turn off the heat), add the sprouts, salt and pepper, and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.  You can add salt at the table (we usually do). 


Brussels Sprouts with Dijon and Shallots (adapted from smitten kitchen):
Serves 4 as a side dish.


1 pound Brussels Sprouts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, black pepper and garlic powder
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or more to taste)


Trim sprouts and halve lengthwise.  In a 12 inch skillet, melt butter and oil over medium high heat.  Add sprouts, cut sides down, and saute until undersides turn golden brown.  Add broth, shallots, salt, pepper and garlic powder and cover.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sprouts are tender.  Remove sprouts.  Over medium heat, add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened (2-3 minutes).  Stir in Dijon, a pinch more of salt and pepper, and season to taste, adding more mustard if you like.  Pour sauce over sprouts and serve immediately.  
    

Firewood Season

The Gimlet. A simple, refreshing beverage that can be enjoyed on a hot summer day while playing bocce ball, or a chilly winter evening, sitting by a fire watching Sunday football. For us, that would be the latter. Our stressful week at work was fueled with the anticipation of having a "country cord" of wood delivered to our driveway, and moving that country cord to the racks we have in our side yard. Firewood days for us started with purchasing multiple 5 piece wood bundles at the grocery store, which evolved to being gifted with a firewood rack and a half cord wood delivery (thanks Mike and Jan!), to now, when we are taking on the full cord (again, an early Christmas gift from Scott's parents). We set the alarm for 6:30am Saturday morning, ate a quick breakfast, got ready, and waited. And waited. And waited. And finally, after 9, our truck pulled up and we unloaded. As we pulled wood off the truck, and covered ourselves with mud, moss, and chipped off wood, I started to smell it. The sweet, smoky, rich smell of that wood mixed with the frost in the air immediately made me want to start a fire and live in the woods. Luckily, we can have that woodsy feeling AND get all of the city benefits I always wanted growing up in rural Pennsylvania.



So, back to the Gimlet. I was introduced to this beverage by Scott, and quickly realized through a number of family gatherings that this is their trademark beverage. This is the cocktail hour preference, the wow-we-had-a-crazy-day-let's-wind-down drink, the go-to drink when nothing else sounds all that great. But when you get to the specifics, things change. Gin, vodka, fresh squeezed lime juice, Rose's; it depends on your personal preference. We drink these beverages with freshly squeezed limes, gin, and sugar. In the summer, I will change it up and go for vodka, but most of the time, it's gin. My favorite is Bombay Sapphire. For Scott, his classic is Beefeater. And for the two of us, it's always fresh squeezed lime juice. The parents prefer half or all Rose's Lime juice, gin for dad, vodka for mom. And here's the final detail that makes it the family drink: filberts. Toasted and peeled, grab a few and throw them in your drink (except for the vodka based gimlets... the drink ends up being too light for the heaviness of the nuts). Take a sip, then eat a lime/gin soaked hazelnut. Perfection!


The Gimlet, Scott's version:
3 oz. Gin or Vodka plus a splash
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. sugar


Combine gin, juice, and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Splash a little extra gin/vodka, and add as much ice as you can get into the glass. Wait about 5 minutes, then add hazelnuts and enjoy!