A Love Child at the Thanksgiving Table

I recently posted this Instagram photo of something new (to me) called Kaleidoscope sprouts. I discovered that lots of others had never heard of them either. My friend Colleen commented, “My two favorite veggies had a love child?”

That is exactly what happened. Kaleidoscope sprouts, also known as flower sprouts, are a clever cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. I found them at the Twin Springs stall at my weekly farmers’ market. Aubrey the farmer, whose son grew them, told me that they grow on long thick stalks, just like Brussels sprouts. But their heads are open rather than closed. These had been cut from the stalk and were displayed loose in a bin, their green and purple ruffles piled up like so many tiny vegetable petticoats. Who could resist that?

It’s true that people used to look askance at kale and cringe at the mention of Brussels sprouts; few would have counted either among their favorite Thanksgiving sides. But that was awhile ago, before we realized their shortcomings had nothing to do with them and everything to do with the way we mistreated them in the kitchen.

Once I got the sprouts home i looked at them closely (they resembled baby heads of romaine lettuce, only sturdier) and pondered what to do with them. My friend Meeta, who lives in Germany and had heard of them, chimed in on Twitter with some good suggestions: lightly sautéing them in olive oil with garlic, onion, and sliced almonds (or pine nuts or hazelnuts); or cooking them with slow-roasted tomatoes and a finishing with a grating of pecorino cheese.

I was looking for the simplest preparation possible, since (as some of you know) I’ve been without a working kitchen since mid-September and have been doing all my cooking on an electric hot plate in the garage. (I’ve been assured that this culinary limbo really is ending soon, allegedly before Thanksgiving. Hmmm.)

I went with Meeta’s recommendation for sautéing the sprouts in garlic-infused olive oil ~ not too long ~ until they were wilted and just tender, still a little crunchy. Towards the end of cooking I added a shower of sliced almonds and, right before serving, Parmigiano cheese. They tasted just like they should ~ earthy and a little bitter (the Brussels sprouts side of the family) but milder than Brussels sprouts and even a bit sweet (the kale side of the family).

This easy recipe is a good jumping-off point for any number of variations, any of which would be fine for Thanksgiving. You could, as Meeta suggests, stir in some slow-roasted tomatoes. You could scrape the wilted flowers into a lightly oiled gratin dish, sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs and bake until browned; you could toss them with a warm bacon vinaigrette for a winter salad. Beyond side dish possibilities, you could chop them up and use them in a frittata or on top of pizza. And ~ at our house at least ~ there’s always the option to toss with pasta.

Buon Appetito and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you,

Domenica

Tagged as: Italian cooking, recipes, Thanksgiving, vegetables, vegetarian