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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!

Tortilla—Spanish Style

Hello, friends.

You know what's tasty? Eggs and potatoes and onions, that's what. For this reason, I'm delighted to share with you a wonderful recipe from my dear friend, Gabriella. Gabriella's family comes from Argentina, where she learned to make tortillas. Not flat frisbees of flour or corn, but delicious, gluten-free egg dishes that are both simple and sublime. From my first bite, this tortilla had me rapt (pun absolutely intended).

Spanish Tortilla

Ingredients

olive oil
3 small-medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
8 eggs
salt and pepper
cheese to top

Instructions

1. Preheat over to 325˚.
2. Beat eggs and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. In oven-safe, 10-inch frying pan, sautée potatoes and onion in a splash of olive oil until soft, stirring often.
4. Pour eggs over potato mixture and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Flip on to plate.
6. Garnish as you wish--with tomatoes, cheese or herbs--or serve plain; it's delicious either way.
7. Enjoy.

Bodacious Broccoli

Well, winter is coming early to Colorado. Today, the slopes opened at Loveland, with A-Basin scheduled to follow on Friday. It's the earliest opening in 40 years, a sure sign that this is going to be a tough winter (right on the heels of a sub-par summer; we Coloradans definitely didn't get our 300 days of sunshine this year).

In spite of our recent hard freeze, I still have broccoli going in my garden, which is a good thing, because, when I'm missing the sun, or just feeling a little under the weather, I often turn to this delicious vegetable to cheer me and make me feel in good health.

Why broccoli? Well, it's outrageously good for you (rich in desirables like fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, and the cancer-fighting compounds cruiciferous veggies are famous for); moreover, I happen to find it delicious. I often stir fry it with ginger, carrots, and garlic, finishing it with a bit of lemon juice. But recently I tried something new, and it was so unbelievably tasty I had to share it with you.

Based on a recipe by the Barefoot Contessa, this roasted broccoli is sure to change the minds of broccoli balkers.

Festive Broccoli Florets

You'll need:

1-2 bunches of broccoli, cut into florets
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
2-4 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
Handful of pinenuts
Pecorino Romano (or any sharp Italian cheese, such as Parmesan) to taste, grated


1. Preheat your oven to 425˚
2. Arrange florets and garlic in a single layer in roasting pan.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss with olive oil to coat.
5. Roast for about 20 minutes, until broccoli is just beginning to brown.
6. Shift to serving dish and dress with remaining ingredients.
7. Serve immediately.
8. Devour with alacrity (but save some for me).

Fantastic Fennel

Happy fall, my friends.

Today I wanted to share a new, favorite recipe that is guaranteed to make your house smell like heaven. Or perhaps much, much better. I'm serious. If real estate agents knew about this, they'd never make cookies or brownies again. This recipe could sell a house in an instant.

Let's start by getting to know our featured vegetable: fennel. You may know fennel from its frondy, dilly leaves, which sit atop celery-like stalks and are used for their powerful anise flavor. You may have also encountered fennel seeds, which are typically dried and show up as breath fresheners in Indian restaurants—or as flavor bombs in Italian sausage.

But fennel has been keeping a secret. Buried treasure, if you like. Just beneath the showy stalks, you'll find a white, fist-sized root that is at once sweet and savory. Mild and delicious, the fennel's bulb is a vegetable of the first order.

If you hate the taste of anise (think black licorice or Nyquil), fear not. Fennel has pleased the taste buds of many an anise-skeptic (myself included). Where anise is over the top, fennel is under the radar, a subtle flavor that sneaks its way into your nose, your mouth, and your heart. In a matter of a few minutes, you'll go from "What is this?" to "Wow, is this good."

I found this outrageously delicious recipe at Epicurious and made a few modifications, including cutting the size down for my smaller family. Enjoy it!

Pecorino-Roasted Fennel and Carrots

• 2 large or 3 small fennel bulbs, sliced
• 2 teaspoons fennel fronds, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 teaspoons garden thyme
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
  (substitute with Parmesan or another hard Italian cheese, if you like)
  
• 1/4-1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

If your fennel is a little dried out, toss it with a bit of oil. Layer fennel and carrots in well-oiled, 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic dish, sprinkling with salt and pepper as you layer. Top with thyme, then cheese. Drizzle with additional oil. Bake at 375˚ until vegetables are tender and top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with fronds.

Horiatiki (The Real Greek Salad)

Hello friends.

Our rainy summer has made for a very slow growing season, so I'm just now beginning to get tomatoes trickling in from the garden. I have 12 or so heirloom varieties this year, including some old favorites (Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Yellow Pear, Sungold, etc.) and some that are new to me (White Cherry and Old German, for example).

So far, the blue ribbon goes to the burgundy and dark green Black Krim. What a tomato. Dense, meaty, sweet, gorgeous and complex. It's the best fruit I've had this summer (forgive me, Western Slope Bing Cherries; you're a close second).

Now I know that fresh tomatoes make most people dream of Caprese, and why not? This layered meeting of tomato, basil and mozzarella fresca is a dreamy mouthful of summer. But if you're looking for a different way to feature your garden tomatoes this year (or would love to get another vegetable into your salad) may I suggest Horiatiki (ho-ree-AH-tee-key)?

I discovered Horiatiki when I spent several months studying history, art history and archaeology in Greece in 1989 and 1990. This is the true Greek salad, marked by the absence of salad greens, olives, peppers and other such nonsense. In Greece, most Horiatikis (country salads) consist of a simple blend of sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, feta cheese, olive oil and salt and pepper (see my recipe below).

The combination makes sense. Though the industrial food machine would have us think that fresh salad greens are a year round affair, gardeners know that arugula, mesclun blend and the like can't handle the heat of the summer; they're really a delicacy of spring—and sometimes fall. The Horiatiki takes full advantage of two of summer's best producers: tomatoes and cukes. (Now, if only we could figure out a way to add zucchini!)

Before I share my recipe, let me add just one note on behalf of the poor, misunderstood tomato: please, my friends, never refrigerate this fine fruit. Chilling ruins the texture and takes the flavor right out. If your tomatoes are as good as mine, set them in the fruit bowl or in a shady spot on the counter, and they'll disappear long before they have the slightest chance of rotting.

These days, I make my Horiatiki this way:

Horiatiki

Combine equal parts cut up tomato (with juice) and cucumber pieces.
Top with crumbled feta cheese.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.