A Bevy of Beautiful Brussels Sprouts

Before we conclude Thanksgiving 2013, let us take a moment to recognize a petite powerhouse of the holiday table – Brussels sprouts.

Both adored and reviled, the one thing Brussels sprouts will never evoke is indifference. The little cabbage-like buds may have once been cultivated in ancient Rome. While the rich, earthy, complex flavor is often too strong for a young palate, many adults become die-hard fans.  

Regardless of how you feel about the taste, at the CSA, just harvested Brussels sprouts are a showstopper.  My mom describes the stalks as resembling musical sleigh bells. At Restoration Farm, Brussels sprouts are a “micro crop.” They take up quite a bit of valuable land, so a smaller patch is planted later in the season and made available at the annual Thanksgiving distribution for members who have renewed for the upcoming season.  

The mountains of sprouts at the Thanksgiving distribution inspired awe, admiration and delight from members. 

The little buds snapped easily off the stem, and were tender and sweet – a lovely treat to complete the 2013 growing season.  

One of my favorite recipes for Brussels sprouts comes from chef Julia Shanks, the co-author of “The Farmer’s Kitchen – The Ultimate Guide to Enjoying Your CSA and Farmers’ Market Foods.”    Brussels sprouts are sautéed with garlic and oil and then tossed with lemon juice and quinoa. 

I leave the sprouts in the pan as long as possible until they are deliciously crispy, brown and caramelized.  

Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts (adapted from “The Farmer’s Kitchen” by Brett Grohsgal and Julia Shanks)

½ cup quinoa

½ pound Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil (my olive oil was infused with lemon)

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin or chopped

½ lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup toasted, slivered almonds (optional)

Rinse quinoa under cold water. Put in a small saucepot and cover with water. Add 1teaspoon salt. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the quinoa has popped and is cooked through. 

Meanwhile, cut Brussels sprouts in half.  If sprouts are larger, slice thin.

Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add the olive oil and let heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until aromatic. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring regularly until they are bright green and soft (I covered the pan and turned down the heat, stirring occasionally and allowing the sprouts to get crispy-brown). Remove from heat.

When quinoa is cooked, drain excess water.  Toss with Brussels sprouts.  Add juice from ½ lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in almonds, if using. 

For more on the annual Restoration Farm Thanksgiving celebration, visit Edible Long Island.   

©2013 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved   

A Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake and The Passage to Autumn at Restoration Farm

The autumnal equinox arrives with quiet luminance at Restoration Farm.  In a sense, the farm is like a lush, romantic landscape painting that evolves before our eyes.  The changes are subtle, but evident.   The growing season is reaching fruition.  

The colors of vegetables are richer and skins are firmer.  

The topography is changing.   In the fields, buff-colored Long Island cheese pumpkins dot the field.

Piles of wood chips, resembling a sand dune, have been left at Apple Trace for mulching the heirloom apple trees.   

Manure is piled high in the fields to nourish the soil for the next growing season.

The ubiquitous kale is still producing nutritious greens, but the plants now resemble tall palm trees.   

Canadian geese glide overhead.   One hears the soft sound of a nurturing melody carried on the morning breeze.  It is the gentle clucking of Donna Sinetar's growing brood of heritage laying hens.  The progression of weeds has begun to slow.  As always, there is evidence of people at work.   The berries have concluded and the bushes have been cut back to encourage new growth.     

Not all is bucolic.  Nature can deliver cruel blows.    The heritage meat bird program was cut short when a red fox quickly decimated the third batch of chicks – some thirty in all.  Two of the cows from the historic village got loose and damaged two of the saplings at Apple Trace.  

Glenn Aldridge's “Voodoo Garden,” an experimental edible garden, was attacked by ferocious pig weed in late summer that was so aggressive he simple couldn't tame it any longer.   But, even amidst the morass of weeds there is evidence of Glenn's labor and small, perfectly shaped pie pumpkins are spotted. 

Each season adds perspective at the farm.  Insights emerge from heartbreak and disappointment, and we try once again.

The passage to autumn is a moment to celebrate the journey we've shared together and the ripening of the growing season.   Dinner in the field brings you closest to the food and the community.  At the annual autumn equinox potluck, we celebrate a thriving farm and community that is cultivating life, no matter the obstacles.

I bring an iconic autumn dessert to the meal that to me symbolizes the fullness of the autumn season.   A pumpkin buttermilk spice cake is a sweet finish to the fall banquet and a harbinger of autumn and winter celebrations to come.  

At the meal, we honor the farmers, the members, the volunteers and all their contributions.  We celebrate the successes, the heartaches, and of course the food of Restoration Farm.   

It is a fine celebration - filled with good food, fiddle music, friends and family - but there is wistfulness as well, as we know that soon the farm will sleep and this growing season will be but a memory.   

©2012 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved