My Namesake

It's official: I am a Farmer's Market groupie.  I'm there multiple times every weekend, often just walking aimlessly through the pavilion, gawking at the pretty produce.  I stalk their page on Facebook.  I follow all their announcements.  I am obsessed.  But it's a happy obsession, and I'm proud to say that I have increasingly fostered relationships with my farmers.  It's a lovely feeling to know the people who put their time and love into growing your food.

To get back to my Farmer's Market-Facebook-stalking.  Imagine how delighted I was to see the photo-post that Brussels sprouts were finally in season and available at the market!  I saw the post on Saturday night and found it hard to fall asleep with all the excitement - in the morning I could go get my choux!  (Sorry, I must interrupt here.  Brussels sprouts are part of the cabbage family.  I thought I would throw this in here because my friend who is a self-proclaimed cabbage hater has Brussels sprouts listed as one of her top vegetables...she, along with many others, had no idea they were cabbage!)  As soon as I got to the market, I made it my mission to find the Brussels sprouts.  I was in such a mode of intensity that I initially walked right by them!  Luckily, my friend was with me and pointed them out.   Phew.  I eagerly chose a stalk (yes, they come still on the stalk), and cherished it as my new pet...well that's a little weird to say because I would eat them soon enough, but I really did have a lot of affection for these little sprouts.

Isn't he gorgeous?  If it were more cost-effective, I would definitely buy a dozen of these stalks as decoration!

So cute and green.

Nutritious, delicious, and beautilicious?

The problem with cooking one of your all time favorite veggies: you devour them before any photographs can be taken.  This was the case of these Brussels sprouts.  Here is the recipe anyways!

Brussels Sprouts with Figs and Balsamic

Ingredients

• 30-40 small Brussels sprouts (about 20 big ones, cut in half), stems trimmed and any dry leaves removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 fresh figs, each cut into 6 wedges
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  I decided to use an 8x8" Pyrex baking dish that I lined with aluminum foil, but I imagine a baking sheet or forgoing the foil would be just fine - use your favorite roasting apparatus, but be aware, it may change baking times. 
2. In a medium bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Pour the sprouts into the lined baking dish.
3. Place the sprouts in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, toss the chopped figs and garlic into the medium bowl used previously and add the balsamic vinegar and a little more salt and pepper.  Stir so all the figs are coated.
5. After the sprouts have had a head-start in the oven for 10-15 minutes, remove the dish.  To the dish, add the figs and the balsamic that remains at the bottom of the bowl.  Give it all a good stir so that things are well-incorporated.  
6. Return the sprouts/figs to the oven and roast for another 40 minutes, until the sprouts are tender and slightly browned.  Check every 15-20 minutes and stir.  (Roasting times here may vary, so you want to keep an eye on the sprouts and figs.)
7. Enjoy over quinoa, rice, or millet (or a combination as I love to do!).  I also found this dish to be amazing accompanied by a little garlicky humus.

I would be interested to see if I could make this recipe work with dried figs...I might have to first cook them down with some water into a compote of sorts and add it later in the baking, but it might just work!