Kay Wheeler Moore

Welcome to my blog

Hello. . .

The Newfangled Country Gardener is for anyone who has a garden, would like to have a garden, or who simply enjoys eating the garden-fresh way. I don't claim to be an expert; in this blog I'm simply sharing some of the experiences my husband and I have in preparing food that is home-grown.

About the author

Kay Wheeler Moore is the author of a new cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden, that features six generations of recipes that call for ingredients that are fresh from the garden. With home gardening surging in popularity as frugal people become more resourceful, this recipe collection and the stories that accompany it ideally will inspire others to cook the garden-fresh way and to preserve their own family food stories as well. The stories in this book center around the Three Red-Haired Miller Girls (Kay's mother and aunts) who grew up in Delta County, TX, with their own backyard garden so lavish that they felt as though they were royalty after their Mama wielded her kitchen magic on all that was homegrown. Introduced in Kay's previous book, Way Back in the Country, the lively Miller Girls again draw readers into their growing-up world, in which a stringent economic era--not unlike today's tight times--saw people turn to the earth to put food on the table for their loved ones. The rollicking yarns (all with recipes attached) have love, family, and faith as common denominators and show how food evocatively bonds us to our life experiences.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Be thinking of your Thanksgiving sides: add Brussels Sprouts with Apples to the list

How unfair to Hubby was this? I returned home from the hairdresser and had a new perm; I then immediately began stirring up my new dish—Brussels Sprouts with Apples. As if the pungent aroma of the fresh perm solution wasn’t enough (Hubby’s super sniffer detected it the minute I walked in the door), the odiferous brussels sprouts almost sent him reeling while they were cooking. Double-trouble for him.

But that night, when he dined on Brussels Sprouts with Apples and thought the dish was amazing, he decided I hadn’t enacted such a harsh treatment after all. The recipe was from www.myrecipes.com (it originally appeared in November 2002 Southern Living) and continued my quest of finding wondrous ways with apples while we’re yet in apple season. This called for a large diced Red Delicious apple, sliced water chestnuts, golden raisins, and lemon rind. Three tablespoons fresh lemon juice stirred in with the fresh brussels sprouts pretty well banished the objectionable smell while the dish simmered.

The brussels sprouts (cut in in half to make more bite-sized pieces) cooked up to taste a lot like baby limas; the water chestnuts gave the veggie side dish an appealing crunch; the diced cooked apples and addition of sugar substitute made it all taste slightly sweet. A good candidate—and a very healthy one—for a Thanksgiving side dish, for sure. Hubby said for me to note that as with many other dishes, it tastes even better the next day.

And the odiferous perm solution? After 48 hours (even guys remember the take-away line from Legally Blonde) it washed out of my hair without a trace. Hubby was happy.

Brussels Sprouts with Apples

2 1/2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, halved
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt (or salt substitute), divided
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup apple juice
1 large Red Delicious apple, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

In a saucepan bring to a boil the brussels sprouts, lemon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and water (just enough to cover). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 t0 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm. In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt 2 tablespoons butter; add onion, and sauté 15 to 20 minutes or until the onion is caramel-colored. Add apple juice and cook 2 minutes; stir to loosen browned particles. Add apple, garlic, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, 5 to 6 minutes or until apple is tender. Add water chestnuts, next 4 ingredients, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes. Gently toss in brussels sprouts. Makes 6 to 8 servings.


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