Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

My friends, I had a strange craving on Friday. It hit me at the Sheridan Costco sometime between 5:30 and 6. And it was for Brussels sprouts.

Until that moment, a good portion of my sense of self was grounded in a strong belief that I didn't care for Brussels sprouts. But research shows that it takes multiple exposures to a food before you can really know whether or not you like it. Apparently, after decades of evaluation, my taste buds and brain had suddenly given these tiny cabbages the thumbs up. Fueled with a new enthusiasm, I picked up a Costco-sized portion of cruciferous goodness and headed home.

I decided to treat my Brussels sprouts to a lovely garlic roasting--an approach that has never failed to turn a good vegetable into a great one. Feel free to take the recipe below and apply it to cauliflower, broccoli, beets, yams, potatoes, carrots, fennel or any other vegetable on hand.

Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
About 20 Brussels sprouts, halved
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil to coat
Sea salt and pepper to taste (I used my very favorite salt, Le Pere Pelletier Gardener Salt)
Fresh thyme

Technique:
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Toss ingredients in your best roasting pan (the one with the nicest patina), coating the tiny cabbages with oil. Turn the Brussels sprouts cut-side down to encourage them to caramelize on the largest possible surface area. Cook them for about 20 minutes, until they show a nice browning where they come in contact with the pan. Eat them up. Yum!

Dreamy Potato and Fennel Soup

Brrr! It's suddenly cold in Colorado, and after an outrageously long stretch of sunny, 70˚ days, we finally saw our first snow here in Denver this Tuesday. To cut into the gloom and chill, I tried a new soup recipe, modified--to fit what I had in the kitchen and garden--from Epicurious.

I used fennel from our own CSA, Monroe Organic Farms, which we picked up at the Boulder Farmers' Market. I took tarragon straight from the garden (hooray for the cold-heartiness of most herbs!). My fennel seed came whole from Savory, a great spice shop with locations in both Denver and Boulder. I ground it with a mortar and pestle, but you could also use a food processor or wrap the seeds in parchment and whack at them with a tenderizer or rolling pin (this can be good, old fashioned kitchen therapy).

Early on, this soup smelled fantastic and warmed up the cozy quotient in our house. On first taste, Joel immediately put this among my top five best soups ever.

You'll need:

1. 2-3 T olive oil
2. 2 fresh fennel bulbs, chopped
3. 1 medium onion, chopped
4. 5-7 small or medium-sized potatoes (when chopped, should about equal the amount of chopped fennel bulb)
5. 4 cups chicken broth
6. Juice of half a lemon
7. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
8. 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
9. 1 tsp fresh tarragon, minced
10. Fresh fennel greens for garnish

Place heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and warm oil. Add 2, 3 and 4 and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Sauté about 12 minutes, until softened. Add 5 and 6. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring 7, 8 and 9 to boil in a small, heavy saucepan; reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand until flavors blend (about 20 minutes).

Returning to the stock pot, use a hand blender or food processor to puree the soup until smooth. Then, add the cream mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with fennel fronds and enjoy!