Broccoli
Broccoli Salad - Elaine Thomas
Brussel Sprouts
Little Cabbages of Death - Kyle Lerfald
Lisa Kyono Replies...
And Lynn Steele...
David Finlay (aka Behemoth) Agrees with Kyle
Rowen Advises...
Elizabeth Wild Temporizes
Brussels Sprouts and Grapes - Doug Essinger-Hileman
Sprouts Undone - JIll Bennett
Astrid Bear
Ted Browne, Offering a Nutmeg of Consolation to Non-Brussel Sprout Lovers
Bob Fleisher
John Gosden
Isabelle Hayes
Shredded Brussels Sprouts - Aari Ludvigsen
Linda DeMars
Susan Wenger
Cabbage
Bubble and Squeak - John Meyn
Pickled Cabbage - John Meyn
Booya - Kyle Lerfald
Napa Cabbage Salad - Alice Gomez
Colcannon
John Gosden
Grandma Krugman's Yiddishe Colcannon - Michael Krugman
Andrew Midkiff
Another Colcannon Recipe
Betsy Packard
Katherine Hannan
Kimchi
Jan Garvin
Larry Finch
Kale - Roberta Lovatelli
Broccoli
Broccoli Salad - Elaine Thomas
Tops from 2-3 big stalks of broccoli, cut small
1 C. raisins
1/4 C. diced bacon
1/4 C. sunflower seeds
1 bunch chopped scallions
Dressing:
1/4 C. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Brussel Sprouts
Little Cabbages of Death - Kyle Lerfald
How does one turn The Little Cabbages of Death into an edible compound? Does it involve drinking alcohol to excess?
Lisa Kyono Replies
Little Cabbages of Death? Oh come now, Sir, really, they're not THAT bad. I just score them, steam them for about 10 minutes, and then toss them into a saute pan with some shallots sauteed in butter. Yummy.
As for the drinking, to my mind that always improves the flavor of food.
And Lynn Steele...
My favorite is similar to Lisa's except that I leave out the shallots and add a little lemon juice to the melted butter. Another lovely trick is to cool them after steaming and serve with a little olive oil and chopped garlic. Heaven ain't in it.
David Finlay (aka Behemoth) Agrees with Kyle
"Horrible nasty green foreign things! Which they remind me of the worst excesses of the French revolution!" I'll bet Killick never served such an un-holy vegetable to Jack Aubrey at sea or at Ashgrove Cottage! Blue pills and black slime draughts all round! Only the Belgians could have named their capital city after such a vile tasting weed! Never mind, it will doubtless be a suitable name for the capital city of the European Union!!
Rowen Advises...
Well, after years of avoiding them, I have finally found that they aren't too bad if you don't overcook them, and they aren't too old to start with. I steam them, then cut each one in half (bite size) put a lot of butter and salt on each half and that way they are pretty good. But the butter and salt probably cancel out any health benefits the sprouts have. Oh, and they HAVE to be pretty HOT when you actually eat them. Cold or lukewarm, they are repulsive.
Elizabeth Wild Temporizes
Sprouts have a strong flavour, so you have to be careful about what you eat them with, if you're a bit iffy about them in the first place. I'd try them with pork or beef rather than with chicken, with gravy, and as Rowen says, they must be hot.
My grandmother used to eat them cold with mayonnaise. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, however.
Brussels Sprouts and Grapes - Doug Essinger-Hileman
Steam the sprouts for about 15 minutes, add the grapes and steam for another minute. Put in serving bowl and sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice. Rather simple recipe which highlights the tastes of sprouts and grapes. The contrast between these two is the joy of this dish.
Sprouts Undone - JIll Bennett
Rinse and drain 12 ounces brussels sprouts. Cut about 1/4" off the stem end of each sprout and begin peeling off the leaves. When difficult to peel farther, trim off another 1/4" and continue removing leaves. Repeat to remove all leaves and discard cores. Set a 10-12" frying pan over medium high heat. When hot add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup chopped shallots, sprout leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. Stir until leaves are bright green and slightly wilted but still crunchy, about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 3 to 4 servings.
Astrid Bear
For the real treat of brussel sprouts, get them fresh from the garden. I haven't grown 'em myself, but a friend did and gave me some picked that day. A revelation! Sweet, tender, and wonderful -- a whole different vegetable, almost. And the oddest thing to look at, before harvesting: this great elongated stalk, topped with large cabbage-y leaves, with little nodules up and down the side, those being the sprouts, y'see, ready for breaking off one by one.
Let me add my favorite of cooking, which is, again, not cooked too long, and served with browned butter and caraway seeds.
Ted Browne, Offering a Nutmeg of Consolation to Non-Brussel Sprout Lovers
The way to cook Brussel Sprouts is for not too long and with a little nutmeg. I love them too like that.
Bob Fleisher
The really fresh ones are better if you use a cheese sauce, preferably a sharp cheddar, before you toss them in the trash. And I have always favored the disposal to the trash can; the smell doesn't linger as long that way.
John Gosden
Yet another subject on which we can agree to disagree - I love Brussels sprouts, and miss them - nothing goes better with a roast fowl and roast potatoes!
Isabelle Hayes
Here is a recipe that I got out of the New York Times years ago, and which I prepare for Thanksgiving dinner every year, because my niece (and others) are mad for them:
(everything is approximate)
an amount of brussel sprouts, say about three cups;
you soak them in water, clean them and then put an x in the stem end;
then you put into boiling water for 8 minutes,
drain them;
put about 1/2 cup of cream (light or heavy) into a saucepan, add a teaspoon of either demiglace or I use Better Than Broth, I think is the name, the beef or mushroom variety;
add a tablespoon of dijon mustard
when this has been heated, cut the brussel sprouts in half and add them to the sauce, serve when heated through, et voila!
Shredded Brussels Sprouts - Aari Ludvigsen, (courtesy of Sara Moulton)
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed of stems and coarse outer leaves
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar to taste
Grated Parmesan
By hand or in a food processor shred sprouts. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sprouts and saute until tender but still crisp. Add balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Linda DeMars
How about cut your sprouts in half and steam them; then marinate them in (for example) olive oil, lemon juice, a very little cayenne, garlic, maybe celery salt, bitters or cloves, or Worcestershire or balsamic vinegar. Cover them with marinade while still warm and then refrigerate all day or all night or whatever. My original reference says serve on arugula at room temperature with toasted walnuts, but any sort of greens would work, they could even be cold out of the fridge, nuts optional.
I will try the grapes and nutmeg, but not together.
Susan Wenger
My favorite way to cook brussel sprouts is to 1) boil them for about two seconds, then 2) toss them into the trash. You may omit step one.
Actually, you can make a pretty good dinner out of them. You take about a pound of brussel sprouts, give or take a pound, and a 14-ounce of well-marbled steak, which you rub with salt and pepper and spices and a little softened butter, and then broil it for two minutes, flip it and broil for one minute on the other side; and a baked potato loaded with sour cream and chopped fresh cheddar cheese; and some carrots steamed al dente; and a nice salad and a chocolate marbled cheesecake; and you have yourself a lovely dinner, and the good part about the brussel sprouts is, you still have that pound left over for tomorrow night's dinner.
Cabbage
Bubble and Squeak - John Meyn
Coarsely chop leftover potato and cabbage or brussel sprouts, season and fry in a large pan, tossing occasionally until you achieve some nice crispy bits. I like to add some ground turmeric, garlic and a pinch of ground cummin. Serve with cold meats and pickles.
The best thing about 'bubble' is that kids who will not eat their greens will often hoover this down because of the name.
Pickled Cabbage - John Meyn
Pickling vinegar:
Boil together for 1\2 hour, 1 quart of malt vinegar diluted with 1\2 pt of water, 2 red chillies, a few peppercorns, allspice, mace, cloves and a handful of Demerara sugar. Allow to cool.
Coarsely shred a red cabbage, generously sprinkle with salt. Rinse off after 1 hr. Put the cabbage in a sealable jar, top up with the vinegar, put on the lid and wait 4-6 weeks!
Booya - Kyle Lerfald
Booya has no set recipe, other than meat and cabbage. It is a soup, served usually from 55-gallon drums heated over enormous gas-burners. A Booya is also a celebration, or social. Most of the time the soup is water, boiling with bits. Unidentifiable bits. Bits that may be meat, or may be vegetable, but are certainly boiled to within an inch of their lives.
Napa Cabbage Salad - Alice Gomez
Ingredients
1 head Napa (Chinese) cabbage
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 packages Ramen noodles - noodles only, not the seasoning
1/2 - 3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or use part sesame oil)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Directions
Wash cabbage and slice thinly. Add thinly sliced green onions and toss to mix. Refrigerate until time to serve or overnight, if possible.
Lightly crush noodles in their packages with a rolling pin or hammer. Melt butter or margarine over medium heat and add noodles, sesame seeds, and almonds. Stir occasionally until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel.
Place all dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup, and microwave until sugar is dissolved. Let cool thoroughly.
At serving time, mix noodle mixture into cabbage and green onions, tossing to combine. Pour cooled dressing over and mix.
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Of course since this is a salad and not some baking powder or yeast thing, you can fool around with measurements, add more of what you like or have on hand, less of what you don't. There really are no absolutes for how much of this or that. I've also had this salad with Mandarin orange slices, chopped apple, and sliced grapes. As long as there's some crunch and the dressing is close, it'll be good.
Colcannon
John Gosden
A much more traditional Irish dish would be Colcannon: Mashed potatoes, cabbage, onion, salt and pepper, mixed and fried in butter (or lard or dripping). Or Champ: spring onions (scallions), chopped and simmered in milk, mashed potatoes, chives, salt and pepper, mixed and butter melted over the dish. Delicious, in either case - if the spuds and veg are dead fresh, and meat-free, so good for fast days.
Grandma Krugman's Yiddishe Colcannon - Michael Krugman
Boil 4 large chopped rutabagas, two bunches of kale, and two onions until soft. Drain, reserving broth for soup. Mash with butter and "Flower of the Sea" salt. Serves 8. Mmmmm.
Andrew Midkiff
St. Brigid's Day Foods
Colcannon for 6
1 1/4 lbs. Kale or green Cabbage
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/4 pounds peeled and quartered potatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 cup cleaned and chopped leeks white part only
1 cup milk
Pinch of ground mace
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup melted butter (use real butter)
1. Simmer kale or cabbage in 2 cups water and oil for 10 minutes, drain, chop fine.
2. Boil potatoes and water, simmer till tender.
3. Simmer the leeks in milk for ten minutes till tender.
4. Drain and puree the potatoes.
5. Add leeks and their milk and cooked kale.
6. Mix, add mace, salt and pepper.
7. Mound on a plate and pour on the melted butter. Garnish with parsley.
Another Colcannon Recipe
5 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped kale or cabbage
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Keep the potatoes warm.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the kale, and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in the kale mixture, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. 5 servings.
Betsy Packard
I make my Colcannon with potatoes, cabbage, kale, carrots and onions. For seasoning I use garlic and parsley.
Katherine Hannan
Me, too! Only I do put in parsnips and leave out the garlic, forsooth!
Kimchi
Jan Garvin
Last week, I stumbled upon a couple of heads of Napa Cabbage in the markdown bin at my local grocery. Being unable to resist a bargain, I bought it. I'm not altogether sure why, because I don't care much for Napa cabbage. Then, being fundamentally opposed to waste, I had to figure out how to use it. One head went into a stir fry almost immediately, but the other hung around and made me feel guilty.
Kimchi!! So, I googled up a few recipes and made up a couple of quarts. By the way, Kimchi is very easy. Once inch squares of cabbage, a bunch of scallions sliced into one inch pieces, other fruits and veggies in thin strips, if you like, but cabbage, onions, garlic, salt and red pepper are the classic ingredients. Ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil, or probably other seasonings, are optional. The recipe I settled on called for broccoli, carrots, oranges and apples in addition to the cabbage, but really, I think I'd have preferred the more traditional mix. You can eat it immediately, or you can let it sit and brew for anywhere from several days to several weeks in a cool (55 f location) We ate it a couple of days in a row, while it brewed, then the rest went into a quart jar and into the fridge.
There was a small amount left over that stayed in the original jar. This morning, when I got up and sniffed it, rather than a nice sour, lactobacillis scent, it had acquired a heady alcoholic fragrance. I've captured a wild yeast!! I'm about to treat it like any other sour dough yeast, add some of the liquid off the kimchi to a bowl of water, and flour and see how it tastes after it has worked a day or two.
Larry Finch
I believe the traditional Korean recipe requires that you put it in an unglazed crock and bury it outside for 6 months.
Kale - Roberta Lovatelli
Cut thinly length wise and steam just until its almost done -- it's on a crunchy mode. On a skilled, melt some butter until transparent with 2 crushed garlics. Throw the kale inside and finish cooking it adding salt and pepper to taste. DO NOT OVERCOOK, as it is supposed to accompany feijoada.
Which it's the Patrick O'Brian list of the world!