Trials and Tribulations of Locavorism… And Brussels Sprout Recipes

I love making dinner for myself.  Most of the time, I will pick a couple of vegetables and make an incomplete meal lacking meat or starch: a dinner I would never serve to guests.  A few years ago, I did just that.  I sliced, sauteed, and roasted a couple of my favorite veggies before heaping them onto my plate.

Then… I started laughing.  I thought about my thirteen-year-old self being served a meal of roasted brussels sprouts and sauteed mushrooms. Most likely, I would have sat at the table all night because I would have refused, REFUSED to even take a bite of either. (I was a pleasant, easy-going child, obviously…)

But, you know what? Brussels sprouts are good when they aren’t steamed for too long. (Sorry, Mom.) And sauteed mushrooms? Like candy! Well, not candy, but like artichoke dip, which is just as good as candy.

You want to know what is even better about glorious brussels sprouts?  They are grown in Oregon through late fall.  Want to know what kind of sucks? I was very excited to highlight them in my Christmas Eve dinner, but when I got to the store I realized that the Oregon brussels sprouts are no longer – as of the last week, they are from California.  Curses! It seems my days of easy locavorism are over.  There are VERY few fresh vegetables and fruits I can find at grocery stores/co-ops and things are about to get interesting.  Or, things are about to get super boring on my blog.

No fear though, I didn’t let it stop me from serving them for my dinner.  I just marked one for “non-local food” on my mental list. (Please don’t judge.)

Erik, unfortunately, doesn’t share my affinity for brussels sprouts (full disclosure: in my head I call them brussel sprouts, but apparently there is an “s” at the end and I love correct spelling). I have attempted a few different recipes to tempt him to the dark side and, so far, the most simple is the best.

My favorite way to cook them is cut the stems and remove the tough, outer leaves.  Place them on a baking sheet with a bunch of olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat.  Next, roast them in the oven at 400 for about 30-40 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to roll them around.  You may want to try a sample starting at 30 minutes for done-ness. I like them a little under done, but you may like them more cooked. When they come out, you can salt them again if you want them extra salty.

I love the way the outer leaves brown up and get crispy.  Yum-town.

As for finding fresh, GREEN vegetables in Oregon this time of year… Um, I will keep you informed.