How many of you grew up absolutely hating brussel sprouts?  I know I did.  I’ll preface this post by saying that I hope my mother isn’t reading this blog as of late, and Mom, if you are, please stop reading now.  Thanks.

Now I’ll continue on…

Brussel sprouts for dinner were one of those traumatic events of my childhood.  It ranked right up there with beets, which I wrote about quite some time ago in this entry.   I vowed never to eat another brussel sprout after I was old enough to make such a proclamation without getting severely chastised.  Then I figured out that the brussel sprouts weren’t the problem, it was the preparation of the brussel sprouts which caused the aversion.

(Mom, you aren’t reading this right?  Don’t continue on if you are!)

When I was growing up, brussel sprouts came frozen in boxes.  Then you boiled them.  Then you served them.  Slimy.  Yes, slimy.  Beyond rutabaga (that’s yet another entry for a different time), brussel sprouts caused the children in our family nightmares.

But guess what?  Fresh, properly prepared brussel sprouts ARE NOT SLIMY.  It’s true.  They are solid, and crisp, and taste great!

Have you ever seen a brussel sprout in the wild?  Go ahead.  Click on the picture to the left.  Most people have no idea what these little orbs of veggies look like in their natural state.  Yes, they look like they grow on mutant dwarf palm trees.  Does it scare you?  It may not, but it sure scared the heck out of Jimbo, my Shiba Inu, who was certain the house was being invaded by alien tropical trees. 

Sure, he looks regal in the picture on the right, but when confronted by wild brussel sprouts, he’s reduced to a whimpering wuss. 

But back to brussel sprout preparation.  First, cut them off the sprout.  Next, soak them in salted water to get any insects out of the leaves that may have called your stalk of sprouts home.  Then slice them in half, toss them with diced onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 425 for 30 - 45 minutes.

(You read this, didn’t you Mom?)

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The other day I was browsing through the bulk foods section of Whole Foods and I came across Isreali Couscous. It is much bigger than your typical couscous. This is a good thing, because while I do like to cook with couscous, sometimes the texture is just not what I am looking for - it is sometimes too small, crumbly and dry. This looked like a great alternative.

Mediterranean-influenced flavors are some of my favorites. So I immediately had a plan for this couscous. I had all of the veggiess I needed, so I headed up to the Dane County Farmer’s Market and found some locally produced feta cheese to add to the dish.

I cooked the couscous then added some chopped garlic while it was still hot. This lightly cooks the garlic and takes away some of the bite. Then I set the couscous aside and let it cool before I added the following ingredients: chopped heirloom tomatoes, freshly torn basil leaves, diced cucumbers, chopped kalamata olives, chopped scallions and olive oil.

I crumbled the feta in right before serving so that it would retain its distinct flavor and texture.

A great summer side dish.

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One excellent way to use up that summer produce is to throw together a nice, light, summery soup that helps you empty out your fridge.

The good thing about this soup is that it is quick, healthy, and extremely flexible. The bad thing about this soup is that though it is quick, it is also very labor intensive due to the chopping of all of the veggies.

I started with some boneless chicken, and sauteed it in a small amount of olive oil. Chopped onion and garlic were added as it cooked. Once softened, I added chicken stock - enough to create the amount of soup that I needed.

Then, it’s simple. Just chop up and toss any vegetables you have on hand into the soup. I believe that I threw in summer squash, patty pan squash, sweet corn cut off the cob, some kale, some green beans, and other odds and ends.

It tastes fresh, it’s healthy, and it uses your summer veggies. What more can you ask for?

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On a recent evening I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work, with no idea in mind about what we were going to be having for dinner. I felt like eating healthy, but lean chicken and pork was getting a bit old. As I passed the fresh fish counter, the filet of sole that was on special caught my eye. Typically I don’t cook a lot of fish. Greg won’t eat it. I’m not convinced that he wouldn’t like it if he’d just give it a “real” try, but he’s pretty stubborn about it. So if I cook fish, it means I cook two meals and not one. The sole looked like it was worth the effort. So I picked up some fresh shrimp as well, a couple of sausages for Greg and headed home. Once there, the fish was incredibly easy to prepare. I simply sauteed it briefly in a bit of olive oil, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and splashed some freshly squeezed lemon juice and a bit of white wine. I added the shrimp and a tablespoon or two of the pesto that I made last summer. A sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese finished it all off. It was MUCH better than the sausages that Greg had!

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Fall is a season that I’ve come to appreciate much more since joining a Community Sponsored Agriculture program. In the past I’ve avoided pumpkin pies and other baked pumpkin sorts of things. It was just sort of bland and unappealing to me.

Then 2 years ago I ended up with mounds of butternut squash on my kitchen counters, and I didn’t have a clue what to do with it. I didn’t want to roast it and eat it with a meal, because I don’t like mixing “sweet” with “real” food, and it’s far too sweet for my tastebuds.

Out of desperation I sliced one open, cleaned it of the seeds, and roasted it. Then I stared at it for a while and it occured to me that what it really looked like (and tasted like) was pumpkin. So I started to bake pies, muffins, and breads using the roasted squash and became a fan.

Since that time, I’ve heard rumors that canned pumpkin isn’t really pumpkin in many cases. Rumor has it that most canned pumpkin is really butternut squash.

Still, in my opinion, the difference not only lies in the type of squash, but more importantly in the deep, fresh-roasted flavor of the non-canned alternative.

I have a love/hate relationship with baking with pumpkins. I love the flavors, but I hate the fact that I am the only one in the house who will even consider eating the stuff. So that means that there’s lots of baked goods sitting around that I need to eat before it goes bad, and that isn’t very good for someone who is trying to pay attention to caloric intake.

So today I tried to make some low-fat pumpkin cookies. I formed one batch into scone-type mounds, and the other batch into cookie shaped flatter circles. Then I promptly defeated the low-fat, lower calorie recipe by adding a spiced icing at the spur of the moment.

These cookies are actually much better as scones or muffins, as it turns out. They don’t get crispy enough for a cookie, but the texture is just about right for a muffin or a softer scone.

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