Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Preheat over to 400.

2. Mix brussels sprouts, oil, and salt and pepper in plastic bag. Seal tightly and shake it up to mix evenly.

3. Pour sprouts on to baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes.

4. Shake pan every so often for even browning.

My addition of these super simple brussels sprouts to our Thanksgiving table this year came with rave reviews. I received lots of compliments and requests that I make them every year. Yay!

Chapter 17: Celebration Days (Part 1)

In my household credo, Thanksgiving is Creation's birthday party. Praise harvest, a pause and sigh on the breath of immortality.

So tomorrow is my absolutely favorite holiday of the year...THANKSGIVING! It is a time for me to be with family, share my blessings with those I love, enjoy the best flavors and traditions I know, and kick some serious butt at cribbage. I drive home to Phoenix in the morning. I have my audiobook all queued up on my iPod. If all goes well, I should arrive around 2:00, pick up my sister and head out to my parents' house for a solid couple hours of full vegging out and snacking before the meal commences. Oh and this year I am contributing a dish that must be made once I arrive...Roasted Brussels Sprouts! I don't recall ever eating brussels sprouts in our family so I surveyed everyone beforehand to make sure they like this delicious, seasonal vegetable. Lucky me, the vast majority of my kin said they loved them. I love that I will be bringing something new and dear to my heart (seasonal veggie) to the table. Let's hope I do it justice.

In Chapter 17, Kingsolver observes that Thanksgiving revolves around a meal comprised of "what North America has to offer at the end of a good growing season." My gratitude is in abundance. Let's all praise the harvest!

Today's Rewards

Asian Pears, Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, Meyer Lemons, Eggs, Parsley.

I found myself in a wonderful conversation this morning about lemons. Another patron at the Hollywood Farmers Market was saying that the Meyer Lemons are THE BEST. Apparently it is a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange. I have never considered myself excited to try a lemon but I now fall in just such a category. Thank you Hollywood!

Today's Rewards

Pickled Green Tomatoes, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Yams, Carrots, Raspberries. Thank you Silverlake!

The pickled green tomatoes came from an urban farmer named Cam. His restaurant clients in the area include Church and State, The Lazy Ox, Barbrix, Reservoir, and Madame Matisse. Cam had several different tomato sauce options for sale but the vendor said these pickled ones were his "specialty." They were outstanding! I ate the whole jar today :)

Today's Rewards

Honey, Acorn Squash, Apples, Jujube, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Eggs, Fingerling Potatoes, Ozett Potatoes, Bartlett Pears, Brussels Sprouts, Spaghetti Squash.

I have never tasted a jujube fruit until this morning. If you haven't either, let me tell you... it tastes like a super sweet apple. Yum!

And I have never cooked an acorn squash or spaghetti squash. Should be an interesting week.

Atwater Village Farmers' Market

Sorry for my absence the last couple of weeks. Finishing up yoga teacher training and visiting my family in AZ has equaled negligence on behalf of this blogger.

And right on the heels of visiting one of the coolest Farmers Markets I have been to. The Sunday Market in Atwater Village is small and is seemingly very neighborhood-based but, in my opinion, it is definitely worth the trip.

First, they have a station where you can get a Frequent Shopper Card that is stamped on each visit. After 5 visits, you are awarded $3 in Market Money. What a fabulous idea!

My other great pleasure in visiting this Market was meeting a gentleman there who demos how to make meals made of ingredients from the Farmers Market! You can watch him cook a meal, get print-outs of recipes to take home, and enjoy taste tests of his creations. Genius! This is truly one of the coolest ideas.

I will undoubtedly be visiting the Atwater Village Farmers Market (in the Wells Fargo parking lot on Glendale Blvd.) again and again. I hope you will too.

http://www.farmernet.com/events/one-cfm?venue_id=1821