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!