Welcome @ Spruitjes (Brussels sprouts)

This group is dedicated to Brussels sprouts -- in Dutch : spruitjes -- those heavenly vegetables : where to find them, how to grow them, how to prepare them, how to cook them, etc., etc. including a forum for Brussels sprouts and how to (learn and) love them.

Pay attention though : if you think you hate Brussels sprouts, as many do, in this group you might learn that : "Brussels sprouts can be heavenly ... it's that they are sadly misunderstood by too many, too often murdered rather than cooked..." (Hat tip: LolaWalser)

Messages in this group can run either in English or in Dutch.

I just couldn't pass up joining this one, I don't eat them often but I do find them good when not cooked to mush.

I'm quite fond of Brussels sprouts ... but especially so of Shredded Brussels Sprouts In Cream, which is a recipe that has become a Thanksgiving "family tradition" at our house!

I cannot not join a group that quotes me up in the masthead, so...

...but I would request the liberty to discuss other vegetables too, or learning Dutch.

>3 BTRIPP:

That looks good.

saving

How could I not join a group about Brussels sprouts?
I hated them when I was a young kid, but as my taste developed they gradually became my favorite vegetables.

I will not join this group!

Not because of my distaste for brussels sprouts, but rather because I would hate to ruin your statistics.

A quick glance at the group page indicates its collective member library contains 10,916 books, of which only one--The Name of the Rose is held in common (by only two of the five current members).

Now that's delicious.

Actually, I assume that this is due to an update lag. If not, can lilithcat and I claim partial credit for bringing together such a heterogeneous group?

can lilithcat and I claim partial credit for bringing together such a heterogeneous group?

But of course!

as my taste developed they gradually became my favorite vegetables.

It's a little like marrying one's kindergarten nemesis, isn't it...

I'm only joining this group as a contrarian. I hated the only Umberto Eco book I've read. And I still loathe sprouts. I try them (well one, at christmas) every year just to make sure my taste buds haven't changed. They haven't. I 've had them overcooked, undercooked, just cooked, roasted et al. I do not like them. I suspect I may like them if they were pan-fried with bacon, but it would probably be wasting perfectly good bacon.

Goed avond, Boekerij! Dank u wel.

Spruitjes - ah, mooi!

The only time I've not liked them was one 'Delia Smith-inspired' Christmas when my crazy mother decided to cook them with toasted almonds. Oh my goodness, how terrible. All the cranberries in the world couldn't take the taste away...;D

Brussel sprouts - why did it take us so long.

My proudest moment as a parent came when during a lull in the conversation during christmas dinner one year, my three year old daughter piped up "can I have some more brussel sprouts, please" and she continues to insist that they are one of her favourite foods - we have to ration her.

I always used to be a bit of a take it or leave it person with sprouts until we found a recipe where they are fried with bacon - cut bacon and sprouts into thin slices, fry the bacon until a bit crispy and the juces run and then chuck in the shredded sprouts for just a couple of minutes. Add plenty of pepper and it is truly wonderful. Just writing about it makes me wonder if I could get hold of some sprouts now - unfortunately everywhere you look here at the moment you see white asparagus.

>9 reading_fox:

Brussels sprouts and bacon make for an excellent combination.

brussel sprouts and ginger.

i'm in.

The group shared books stopped updating after I joined because that is the only book boekerji and I share.

Members who have a copy of Name of the Rose so far are
boekerij
readafew
LolaWalser
henkl
Tim_Watkinson

Nonmember posters
Hera
SilentInAWay

Those missing out...
Barry
reading_fox
sqdancer
BTRIPP

The bacon and sprouts sounds VERY tempting...

I also have, or rather my wife has a copy of Name of the Rose, I'm just very slow at getting them on LT 204 books in 18 months is probably some sort of record, though I can't see it on the Zeitgeist page yet. Is this some strange unsuspected combination?

Ik stamp spruitjes door aardappels en roer er shoarma door. Schijfjes appel gebakken in kerrie erbij.

>16 kantelier:

De aanduiding "shoarma" (< tr: çevirme (draaiend); vgl. ar: شاورما, of he: שווארמה) zoals in Nederland gebruikt, is natuurlijk niet echt zo verbijzonderend. Lam, kip, kalkoen, rund, varken? Kies maar uit. Maar toch wel vaak en waarschijnlijk dat laatste: varken, niet? Dan blijkt het gewoon een wat dure, "exotische" aanduiding voor gebakken spekjes, lijkt me. Die laatste gaan inderdaad uitstekend bij spruitjes. Zie daarover bijvoorbeeld ook al hierboven, o.m. in Berichten 12 en 14.

>17 boekerij:
Het is geen aanduiding voor zo maar magere spekreepjes. Het exotische zit in de kruiden, die ook wel niet helemaal origineel zullen zijn. Of het recept dan nog je goedkeuring weg kan dragen...

De spruitjeslucht blijft helaas wel erg in huis hangen.

Here is how I first learned to love brussels sprouts. Cook fresh or frozen brussels sprouts until just done. Cool slightly, place them in a jar with a good lid, cover with Italian dressing. Add dried dillweed to taste. Shake, refrigerate until cold. Using a slotted spoon, place sprouts in a shallow bowl, spear with cocktail picks and enjoy. A wonderful appetizer. Now I eat brussels sprouts prepared all different ways. My husband is happy because they have always been his favorite vegetable.

I love brussel sprouts. I like to steam them and eat them with salt, pepper and ghee. I like the smaller ones, they're sweeter.

I have a mystery that some enlightened BS lover can possible help me with. A few years ago when we were also living in France we lived in the countryside near the border with Belgium and in one of the fields nearby the farmer was growing BS. When the plants were almost full size but the BS weren't developed fully a Belgian car turned up with 4 men in it and they spent several days walking around the field (it was a big field) bashing the top of each of the plants with a mallet. Why? Our best guess was that they were trying to simulate the effects of a frost on the plant, some people suggest this helps the BS to develop properly. Any other ideas?

by damaging them would it encourage the plants to produce more in a survival type thing? that would be my only guess.

Finally some other people who like Brussels Sprouts. I knew there had to be somewhere

My husband and I have two somewhat unusual things in common.

We both have never learned to drive. And, we both love Brussels sprouts.

A marriage made in heaven!

Recently hubby made roasted veggies for dinner...I snuck in some brussels sprouts and they were great!

My dad's name is Russell. My mom occasionally threatened to dress my sisters and I in T-shirts saying "Russell's Sprout." Fortunately she never followed through.

I've wanted to try brussels sprouts and bacon for a long time, but one thing I do enjoy immensely (Hera's comment on almonds aside) is brussels sprouts with brown butter, toasted pecans (or hazelnuts), salt and pepper.

My boyfriend and I are both non-drivers, which I love. But brussels sprouts are a lone passion!

If mention of other sometimes-aspersed vegetables is acceptable, I will add that I love beets. Turnips... Etc. Why are so many delicious vegetables misunderstood, mistreated, and hated?

This Christmas, we had beef tenderloin, etc. and I brought a very simple, honest beet dish which converted a beet-hater or two. :) Next year, Brussels sprouts, at last!

I love beets, too and have no idea why people hate them...they're sweet and have the most lovely texture. Plus peeling them makes your fingers pink. Ok, mabye that last bit isn't a good thing, but I love them. Tried to get hubby to put them in the roased veggies, but he drew the line. maybe we need 2 bins for roasting so my dreaded Brussels sprouts and beets won't contaminate his lonesome carrots and potatoes.

As with eggplant, I am willing to entertain the idea that there are good beets out there somewhere: I just have not found any. Beets taste to me like the smell of soil, which is fine for a smell but not so much for a flavor.

Hm. Well, grated and sauteed in a little butter, tossed with salt, pepper, red wine and balsamic vinegars, then sprinkled liberally with finely chopped parsley, they really are lovely. The flavor is slightly sweet, slightly earthy, mellow and complex. Using half good balsamic really helps, as the sweet, earthy complexity is mutually complementary; red wine vinegar gets a bit more acid in there, balancing it out. Just buttered, as I've had them, the earthiness is too much for me.

I do like them pickled, also; and am thinking about other recipes to try.

Beets, I'd want to roast (if at all) with sweet potatoes, parsnips, etc.: does that sound right? Bookmarque, will he allow fennel in with the potatoes and carrots? With a bit of thyme, it's wonderful. I usually use a recipe that includes other root vegetables, but just that trio is very nice.

He probably would, Eurydice, but I don't really care for fennel. He roasts veggies w/just some olive oil and a few herbs (unknown to me). Last time we did carrots, potatoes, brussels sprouts, butternut squash & some onions. Some things were overdone, so I think we will have to add veggies on a timed schedule according to what takes the most to least amount of time to cook. Potatoes & other root veggies of size first and then progressing to leeks and small carrots. I LOVE roasted veggies so will definitely experiment, but will insist on my sprouts!

Sounds delicious, regardless. :)

I so love butternut squash! And leeks!!! (Sigh.) :)

Fennel was a surprise for me; one of those 'odd' flavors you come to appreciate, as I've never tolerated licorice notes at all well. Much as I enjoy it, now, I can well imagine others might not. (Being milder, though, it appeals to family members of mine who don't like beets or brussels sprouts.)

>29 KimKate:

I converted both my husband and my father to eggplant recently... largely through the miracle of dining out :-) A good many Asian cuisines prepare eggplant in extremely delightful ways. Szechuan eggplant (Chinese) is invariably delicious, I've had some wonderful Thai eggplant, the Japanese have a way of simmering eggplant that is sublime... and let us not forget the wonderful bhartha dish of north India!

On the other hand, I've never been much thrilled by the European eggplant. Give me the Asian one any day :-)

Darn, it sounds like I may be about to give up one of my three produce dislikes. Eggplant, avocado, and bananas are a trio very likely to lose to the combined forces of Asia the least of their number.

As the flavors of those cuisines dance mirage-like in my mind, merging with that of eggplant, my defenses fall... :)

The Asian eggplant is smaller and more tender than its western cousin. When it's prepared just right, it has a wonderful texture and richness to it.

(Oh damn, I just drooled on my keyboard. Again.)

LOL. Well, I'll try Asian, and if it converts me, possibly give the lesser European another try. :)

I think Someone I Know wants to convert me to the other items I nixed, but given everything I do like, it seems unfair...

(Come on, I don't think he's a turnip, parsnip, beet or Brussels sprout fan.)

I once made pizza with Brussels Sprouts. It wasn't that bad

I love to prepare Brussels sprouts by steaming them (in a Chinese bamboo basket) and then just adding a wee bit of butter, salt and pepper. The naked approach, you might say.

One of these days I'm going to have to branch out :-P

Hmmm ... a pizza with Brussels Sprouts, Pancetta, pine nuts, a sprinkling of finely-chopped black truffle, and a good drizzling of garlic-flavored olive oil (for the "sauce") would be lovely!

 

BTRIPP, you prove the point: approach is everything. Any day you decide to test it, let me know!

Why oh Why has no one mentioned Vinegar with BS's & Butter & Pepper & Salt?
Steamed and Lots and Lots of Vinegar.

Sorry, just noticed >30 Eurydice:
Mea Culpa.

Can someone explain why, when I am in Brussels, I rarely see sprouts on restaurant menus? Or am I going to the wrong places?

I like sprouts and prefer them the "French" way--with lardons, i.e. pork fat. It's pretty similar to the Chinese cooking principle that cabbage and pork are a marriage made in heaven.

>41 guido47:

Funny you should mention that. Often for a quick veggie I nuke BSs and sprinkle them with olive oil and garlic powder, but two nights ago I was tired of that so I used malt vinegar instead. They were astonishingly good.

Kale is wonderful when steamed/fried with vinegar and onions... I'll bet that Brussels sprouts would be, too.

Hmm, wish I could have some right now. Sadly, it's only breakfast-time.

Mmm.... I grant they're frozen, but I have some and tomorrow - chamekke's variation with vinegar and onions it is! (Vinegar it was already going to be.) Glad I actually looked here tonight...

Add some fresh garlic and cream souce, or cook a soup with some curry powder. Enjoj them with carrots !