We always end the CSA season with Brussels Sprouts and all of our members look forward to it! These sweet, mild, fresh from the field “tiny cabbages” are like nothing else. They don’t require much prep work and are best lightly cooked. Slice a few pieces of thick bacon into lardons, crisp, and then lightly cook halved brussels sprouts in a bit of the leftover fat.
In the farm kitchen we had some super thick bacon from our friends at Autumn’s Harvest Farm. You really don’t need much to add a lot of flavor, I just used a few leftover slices from Sunday breakfast.
To prep the Brussels sprouts, I just remove some of the outer leaves, slice the stem end, and half. If you need to give them a quick rinse, dry thoroughly before adding them to pan.
Bacon & Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels sprouts, stem and outer leaves removed, sliced in half
4 (or more) slices bacon, cut crosswise into lardons
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper if necessary
Crisp the bacon over medium low heat. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, and pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes tossing frequently. I like to let the sprouts brown a little on the edges. When the Brussels sprouts are bright green and starting to soften, remove from heat and add the bacon. Toss with the cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
