alexandra’s kitchen: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Recall my friends Kristin and Liz. You remember, the ones that went to town on the baklava and flatbread that night back at my apartment after an evening carousing in Old City this past August. Well, I had the pleasure of seeing them along with some other good friends this weekend up in NYC. Upon arriving, I presented Kristin, my host, with a block of fudge, the first batch I had ever made. The three of us chatted for awhile, but before long, Liz had convinced Kristin to unwrap the parchment paper and tuck in. This time, however, just a small taste sufficed — this fudge is rich, richer even than baklava.

They both inquired about how to make it, but as soon as I began explaining the "soft-ball stage," I had lost them. They very politely requested that I post some easier recipes every so often, ones with fewer steps and fewer ingredients. I've taken their suggestion to heart and am going to make an effort to post simple recipes more frequently, these roasted Brussels sprouts being the first of the series.

I suppose I should have asked my two friends if they like Brussels sprouts — people seem to either love or hate these little cabbages — but this recipe couldn't be simpler. So, Kristin and Liz, if you like Brussels sprouts, you'll love these, and I am confident you will have no trouble making them. And once you've mastered these simply roasted Brussels sprouts, you can dress them up with Fuji apples, cème fraîche and pistachios, as they were prepared last December at Alta, a tapas restaurant in the West Village.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Serves 3 to 4

1 lb. Brussels sprouts
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut the rough end off each Brussels sprout and discard. Cut each sprout in half. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle two to three tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. Toss mixture together until evenly coated with the flavorings. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until sprouts are knife tender and slightly charred.

The Eggmobile

The eggmobile houses laying hens. It follows the herd of cattle, arriving to grass they've grazed on four days earlier.The hens peck at the four-day-old cow pies, eating various insects, larvae and parasites - rich sources of protein - and accomplishing a whole lot more along the way: By eating the fly larvae and parasites, they rid the land of potential pathogens and disease; by scratching through the droppings and spreading them across the grass, they enable the manure to sink into the ground and fertilize the soil; and by eating the pesky insects, they reduce the presence of one of the cows' biggest irritants.

The Barn

Joel Salatin stands in the open-sided shelter where his cows spends a portion of the winter. During the winter, the cows eat hay (dried grass accumulated throughout the growing season), and live on a bedding consisting of woodchips, sawdust and old hay to absorb the cows' excrement. When the heavy cows tread on their nitrogen-rich manure and on the carbon-rich bedding, packing it together, they allow the mixture to ferment (anaerobic composting). By adding corn to the bedding, Salatin entices his pigs to turn the bedding into compost: When the cows return to pasture in March, the pigs dig through the densely packed bedding, searching for the tasty fermented corn, aerating the pile and turning it into compost for the spring.

Corn Pudding