Super sprouts!!

[Gob]

It's the ultimate nightmare for festive sprouts-haters and might prove something of a culinary challenge for the rest of us.

If you hate the mini green cabbages, look away now because monster sprouts as large as snooker balls are going on sale this week just in time to make a guest appearance as part of your Christmas dinner.

The whoppers, which have been grown in a secret Lincolnshire location and are being sold as ‘Giant Sprouts’, will be the biggest ever seen on British high streets and will be sold exclusively by Tesco, priced at £1.50 for a bag of eight.







The super-sized sprouts, which taste the same as the regular variety, were grown naturally by TJ Clement of Benington, near Boston in Lincolnshire who are one of the UK largest suppliers of brassica.

Sprouts became part of our staple 'meat and two veg' diet during rationing after the Second World War but in the 80s and 90s their popularity waned as eating habits changed and diets became more exotic.

They also bore the brunt of schoolboy jokes which further dampened the enthusiasm of an entire generation leading to a decline in sales.

So worried were growers about their fall in popularity that the British Sprout Growers Association was formed 10 years ago to halt their decline by working to show how versatile the vegetable is and coming up with new recipes.

Growers hope the new giant variety will help introduce sprouts to a new generation.

Tesco buyer Andrew Gaunt added: 'Another key point is the giant sprouts are much easier to peel so they will save those people cooking Christmas dinner some extra time.'

[rubato]

Brussels sprouts are a local favorite grown from the local coast farms east to Salinas. But the smaller ones are always better in flavor and texture. They take more labor to prep them but it's worth it.




Trim sprouts and cut their butts off.

Cut them in half.

Heat some dry cumin seeds in a pan until they start to smell nice. Add a little butter and sprouts and sear them a little. Add water and some basil cover, and cook until done. (It takes practice to get the amount of water just right.)

or

Trim sprouts and slice them sideways so you get a 'shred'.

Heat olive oil, salt and pepper, and a little pancetta and garlic in a pan.

Add sprout shred and cook until done. (there is still a lot of body left to them).

or

Several local restaurants have special sprout recipes. Fire roasting is always good.





yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Brussels sprouts - wonderful! I'm off to shop today for steak, kidney and brussels sprouts for dinner tomorrow - it's my annual treat - but I have little hope of finding the green lovelies. That picture looks very good, rubato!

Meade

[Lord Jim]

Geez Louise, Gen'l....

Cricket, marmite, The Late Leonard Cohen, and now...

Brussel sprouts???

Did somebody send you a copy of The Complete List Of Things Lord Jim Detests and you're working through the list, making sure you don't leave anything out?

Next I suspect you'll announce that you've become a Dallas Cowboys fan, and that teen romance movies are your favorite film genre....

[Crackpot]

when they're frest they're not half bad. when they're not OTOH...

[oldr_n_wsr]

Send them all back to Brussels.
not a fan of those sprouts