Free Range Friday

I wasn't going to go to the veggie guy today. In fact, I was on the way to Holistica Aimee to buy my ticket for tomorrows Chefs for Charity event (hint hint). But then I was offered a ride and though my dinghy was in town and I really wasn't going there I thought, hey, it's Friday! I can get a ride to the veggie guy...so I did.

I wasn't going to buy Brussels Sprouts either. I don't like them. But, my daughter Sarah keeps insisting that if I'd just cook them the right way, I'd be a convert. She is half-way to be believed because she grew up not liking them either and she loved vegetables of every sort, almost. I figure now she just inherited my dislike for them, much as I inherited my loathing for beets and my dislike of lima beans and cooked carrots from my father.

There they were, nestled against a bag of mint. They looked fresh. They looked cute. They looked like they wanted to come home with me. I answered their call. I bought some other things too, including a head of cabbage. Apparently my body is crying out for all the good things these strong vegetables have to offer. And they offer a lot! Cabbage for example, was called the 'drug of the poor' in the middle ages. It helps prevent colon cancer. It's a great source of vitamins A and C, along with plenty of beta-carotene.


Brussels sprouts are a derived from the wild cabbage, which seems pretty obvious to me. Now, I like raw cabbage. But cooked? No thanks. Except...when it finds itself in soup, sort of crunchy. So to me, Brussels sprouts are just tiny cabbages, right? Not really. Not if they are 'cooked right'. We'll see about that. In waiting for my daughter's reply to how to cook them, I've been doing some research on them. It was funny that almost every site about Brussels starts with a qualifier about how they are the least liked vegetable, but this writer will show how to change your mind. This particular site has me pretty convinced. As the title says, she really does Love Brussels Sprouts! But if you want to know why they are called Brussels sprouts (and more), you'll need to read this.

I hauled my goodies back to the dinghy (except for the huge bag of oranges that the veg guy promised to be muy dulce....I let a friend put them in his van to get tomorrow), and headed for home. Another beautiful afternoon, even though the day was been unseasonably and unreasonably sweltering. I thought it might be when this morning was lake calm.

Disturbing the peace

By the time I headed in to the cart, a breeze had come up, but not much.
This is in the middle of Ensenada Honda.

When I hear from Sarah on the Brussels sprouts recipe, I'll follow her directions and let you know how it goes, savor or spit. In the meantime, I'm grilling corn for tonight.