As I was playing with my kids in the snow last week, I remembered the brussels sprouts that I had planted in the garden. Last year we let the Brussels sprouts overwinter, but I was worried that the temperatures forecasted that week were just too cold, so I decided to harvest them.
The plants were crunchy with snow and ice.
Looking back, it looks like I could also have tried to cover them to protect them against the weather.
The best practice for growing brussels sprouts is to trim the lower leaves as the plants grow, perhaps to concentrate more of the nutrients in the sprouts. I had not done this, so I got a lot of leaves, which turned out to be edible.
Our sprouts were much smaller than the ones in the supermarket. But supermarkets don't sell the leaves, which changes the comparison a bit in my mind.
The leaves were unexpectedly tender and sweet when we fried them. There is a tight bunch of leaves at the top of the plant that looks a bit like a sprout. I can see why the aphids really loved this part when it was warmer. I haven't cooked the sprouts yet.
I hear food waste being discussed in the news occasionally. I would argue we achieved negative food waste since we ate something that isn't usually sold.
Bigger Brussels sprouts would be nice, but I'm not sure if I'll trim the leaves next year.