This picture is of me, in London a few years back, when I first realized Brussels sprouts grew on stalks. Where had they been all my life?!
Howdy Pilgrim! Sorry, that was my John Wayne impression which, sadly, is better in writing than in person. Still, I’ve always liked that greeting. We’re all “pilgrims” in some sense, aren’t we? We’re all seeking something far away, somewhere out in the great wide world.
This week, I’m seeking brussels sprouts.
Not quite as exciting as a New World perhaps, but also less likely to kill me with malaria and dysentery, so I’ll take it. Brussels sprouts have possibly the worst reputation of all vegetables. Steam them, and they smell like someone’s cooking dirty gym socks. They don’t taste much better that way either. But, roasting Brussels sprouts is a whole new story – like when Howard Zinn rewrote the story of the first Thanksgiving. Totally changes your perspective.
In this recipe, I chopped 1/2 a brown onion, butternut squash, an apple, sage, and Brussels sprouts, tossed them with about 1Tb olive oil (plus salt and pepper) and roasted them in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour. Take out and toss once at the half-hour mark.
It’s a recipe that speaks to my Belgian heritage (Brussels sprouts originated in Belgium – duh) and my American heritage (nothing’s more American than squash!) But mostly, it’s just delicious, healthy, and perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish.
Ran into a hitch with the link share this week, but if you leave a comment and link it to your blog, I’ll track it down and post it on the WanderFood Facebook page. How’s that for a link share? 😉