Sunday, April 27, 2008

Celebrating the Brussels Sprout!

Two weeks of school holidays. Two weeks of rain. I do wish they hadn't coincided so precisely! It will be at least a week before the ground dries out -- and I have bought some sweet pea seedlings, 'Social Climber', to underplant with Pansy 'Turkish Delight'. And Brussels sprouts. The Geek and I love Brussels sprouts, but raising them from seed in Sydney is difficult: they have to be nursed through our hottest summer weather before they can be planted, and our cool season is probably not quite long enough to get a crop. These seedlings I have are beauties, and someone else has done the hard work for me.

Overcook any member of the cabbage tribe and their health-giving but odoriferous suphur compounds will make themselves known, and that's why many people dislike Brussels sprouts -- they require careful cooking. A friend of ours was once a tutor at New College, UNSW, where there was a strict rule against food-fights in the dining room. He opined that Brussels sprouts, as prepared by the College caterers, were not food. We shall cast a discreet veil over the scene that ensued.

To cook Brussels sprouts so as to produce a food:
Buy the smallest ones you can, but preferably 3cm in diameter or less. Peel off any loose leaves and feed them to your guinea pigs. Microwave them (the sprouts, not the piggies) for about four minutes. They should be just-cooked, not crunchy, but certainly not soft or sloppy.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

One day, I'm going to invite myself to dinner at your house and challenge you to make me like eating Brussels Sprouts!
I remember eating really rank ones as a teenager and it's put me off for life.
Besides - with this much Bok Choy (points to garden) why would I eat Brussels Sprouts??? ;P
PS - Putting aside my snide remarks about the sprouts, feel free to invite yourself *here* for dinner whenever you are in Brissie!