Brussels sprout leaves

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.