My brussels sprout plants are now about a foot tall. Unfortunately, with the humid, rainy season just around the corner, hopes for any actual brussels are fading fast. So, I am turning my attention to the leaves. I have done a little searching and found out that brussels sprout leaves are:
1. For most of the parameters measured, the quality of leaves was better than that of sprouts and could be reccommended as a substitute for kale (V.R. Markovic, and LJ.O. Vracar Applicability of Brussels Sprouts Leaves for Human Nutrition), cited on http://www.sweetandsourspectator.org/archives/2007/11/brussels_sprout_1.html
2.They are "full of flavour, quite sweet and full of vitamins and iron. The sprout is truly a remarkable vegetable to have in the garden" (Jason clegg, online comment)
3. They can be sliced and lightly steamed.
4. They can be sliced and put in a pan with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes and braised for 15 mins. (http://www.sweetandsourspectator.org/archives/2007/11/brussels_sprout_1.html)
And on this site, there is a recipe: http://culiblog.org/2006/01/brussels-pearls-neither-bitter-nor-farty/
Brussels Sprouts Leaves Raw and Not Raw
fresh brussels sprouts leaves
dressing
sesame oil
rice wine vinegar
soy sauce
fresh ginger
chopped fine fresh garlic
chopped fine wasabe (or mustard)
Stack a bunch of brussels sprouts leaves on a cutting board. Roll them up lengthwise so that the ‘cigar’ is easy to grip. Cut into very fine shreds (chiffonade).
Make the dressing as you would a vinaigrette… in an old jam jar. Add enough ginger, garlic and wasabe so that when you give it a good shakin’, the dressing becomes creamy.
Raw version: Toss the thin shreds of brussel sprout leaf into a goodly amount of dressing and let it sit at least an hour.
Cooked version: Pour a few glugs of olive oil into a hot skillet and toss in the shredded leaves. With some chopsticks whisk and toss the leaves a few times through the sizzling skillet and pour a few glugs of the dressing on top. Swish it all around a few more times and then tip out the lot into an awaiting bowl. Done in less than a minute.
And with all that talk of Chinese ingredients and chopsticks, it's almost as if it is an old Chinese speciality, perfect for Hong Kong...will try them soon.
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7 comments:
Are you going to do something with the brussels sprout leaves?
The bread you gave us yesterday was really yummy and it's proper toast size. We've never made such a big loaf before, even with the old bread machine.. we are tempted to buy one now. How long have you had yours now?
Yes, we'll be having the brussels sprout leaves tonight or tomorrow, I think. I'll let you know what they're like!
I've had the bread machine for maybe 3 years and it's still going strong. The problem with it over the winter was the cold and dryness, I think. Once I'd experimented with increasing the water and yeast, it was producing good loaves again. Now I've reduced the yeast but still increased the water (I do 50ml more than the recipe)and the loaves are great.
Mine's a Kenwood. They have them in Fortress still at $780, the same price we paid years ago!
I'll give you the recipe (you could do it by hand too) - it's saffron sultana bread.
How was your loaf you were proving on Sunday before you went to Tsing Yi?
Sounds good. Maybe we will get one soon as Graf and Suzanna are coming next month. The bread from Sunday was better. Texture is much nicer and far away from your loaf!
I have an idea today. U know the top I bot your for X'mas that u don't really like? Why don't I knit u a top as one of your maternity wear collection? There are a few patterns so I hope u can find one that suits u.
We tried the brussels sprouts leaves - they are fab! We tried the cooked version. They are very dark green and look like shredded seaweed - must be good for you! I shall try growing them just for their leaves now, even though the weather is too warm for them now.
You can't knit me a maternity top - I'll be huge and it'll take up all your spare time! I will give you the other top back though so you can get it in your shop.
Oh I like this pattern it's easy to make. I will show it to you later. What r u doing this weekend?
Saturday morning we're going to Central for seeds and trainers, lunch and a gallery (if I have enough energy!)
Nothing planned for late afternoon Saturday or for Sunday though...we could drop by on our Sunday morning dog walk if you're about and accepting visitors!!!
Cool! Have fun tomorrow and happy Valentine's day! I hope you don't make yourself too tired.
Yeah Sunday morning sounds good. I can have another experiment with bread again later tonight.
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