I thoroughly enjoy Brussels Sprouts.

Brussel sprouts sounds like some kind of atonement to me. I know I should embrace them. It may just be ignorance about brussel sprouts but I'm just not there yet...

Except the sprout. Imagine how good bacon will be when paired with Brussels sprouts.

I'm really, really going to try.

...boiled in crab boil water! Sounds disgusting, I know, but they were great! Full of spices! I also like to shred them and add green onions and slivered almonds and toss them with rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil, warming them in a skillet before serving. Pretty yummy. They are also really good fermented in a plain salt brine with a few cloves of whole garlic. That's my favorite. When you know you need to eat some green veggies you just pluck a few out of the jar and eat them. No prep or fuss necessary.

Beware.

But I still can't forget my mother's 'boiled half an hour to kill the botulism' version. Mom's vegicide was the stuff of sulfurous nightmares. I just have to get over it. Some day.

I have learned to love asparagus, so there's hope.

I live near Monterey county, where there are a lot of sprouts farms (and other brassicas, and artichokes) so I can get stalks of sprouts that were growing a couple of hours ago. Everything else - even the supposedly fresh ones in stores - pales by comparison.

Just keep the preparation simple - I roast them, then toss with the good olive oil.

May it be not too painful !

My favorite is to halve them and sauté until brown, pinch of salt and a shake of onion powder, toss in some cranberries (fresh or dried) and walnuts or pecans, then deglaze with a generous dousing of raspberry-walnut vinaigrette until sticky.

They’re sweet, earthy, tangy, and woe to me if my daughter is home to help eat them because she will arm wrestle me for the last serving.