Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Cool weather is here and that means cool weather vegetables are in season. This includes the often maligned brussel sprouts. However, brussel sprouts don’t deserve this reputation. We feel it’s a function of where you buy them and how you cook them. We show you how to make a brussel sprout that will keep you coming back for more.
Brussel sprouts are part of the brassica family. This includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and more. Often associated with a sulfur taste, this can be avoided by cooking them quickly using high heat. This will bring out the natural sweetness that is actually present in brussel sprouts.
Second is buying the freshest brussel sprouts possible. Our supermarkets will carry brussel sprouts. But keep in mind that most of the produce they carry is weeks or months old. Vegetables lose about 50% of their nutritional value within a week of being picked. However, brassicas also lose their sweetness much faster than other vegetables. Freshness counts!
There’s no shortage of local farmers at our SCV farmers markets that grow brussel sprouts. Our farmers markets are 100% local and always farm direct. The produce you buy there is typically 12 to 48 hours old. Many of our local farmers markets also carry farm direct olive oil and real Parmesan cheese, both of which are ingredients in this simple dish.
Like all of our recipes, we have cooked them many times and they are well tested. The first time we did this recipe for our family they were skeptical. But everyone was amazed and went back for seconds. Follow the simple steps and you too can learn to love brussel sprouts.
The Santa Clarita Valley Farmers Markets operate Saturday morning in Old Town Newhall, Sunday morning in Valencia FivePoint (behind Magic Mountain) and Wednesday evening in Canyon Country. More information about our farmers markets can be found at www.scvfarmersmarkets.com.

INGREDIENTS
1 to 1.5 lb brussel sprouts, stem trimmed and cut in half
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
¼ lb parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Add the trimmed and halved brussel sprouts to a bowl.
Add the olive oil, garlic and salt. Toss until well combined.
On a sheet pan place a piece of parchment paper. Grate enough parmesan cheese to form a small layer on top of the parchment paper. Place the brussel sprouts, cut side down, on to the parchment paper so they are sitting on top of the parmesan cheese.
Bake in the oven at 400° for about 25 to 30 minutes until the brussel sprouts start to brown on top. If you have larger brussel sprouts they may need to cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. You will know they are done when you see they are brown and a fork will easily pierce all the way through them.
Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy!

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