No sprouts!

I love sprouts, some cooking now to go with our roast beef. Been getting loose ones from Morrisons, very small but they have been tasty. Our daughter in law will be delighted if she can't get any at Christmas .

I love sprouts too I usually buy them most weeks. OH won't hear of them in 'Bubble' though it has to be greens.

Just had some with sausages and mash (mashed with added butter and thick cream–food for gods!). Microwaved the sprouts and then melted really good Gouda cheese on top of them under the grill. Fab food.

Esspee

I couldn't find any decent ones this week, we went to Asda for a change and they had very few which looked rather old. Perhaps they are not picking until just before Christmas. I'll have to make do with cabbage instead.

Although if I don't go and put the oven on we won't be having anything tonight.


(actually M&S duck portions)

How do you know what's 'really good' Gouda?

Er, sprouts are green - that's what we have in b&s - along with onions, honey roasted carrots, cabbage - whatever there is going begging in the fridge. I love bubble and squeak.

Exactly Kitty

Not that there'll be many to pick with councils selling off farming land.

Do councils own farming land?
Lots of allotments round here with sprouts growing quite well. I need to take my grandson round the allotments next week to see if there are any being given away.

We bought a sprout stick from the local farm shop last week. There hasn't been a sharp frost yet so the sprouts weren't quite as good although obviously fresh.

There are over 3000 council farms in England DJ they are farmed by tenant farmers. Smaller usually than estate farms.

Thanks, Anya. Didn't realise that.

There was just something about it countryfile, dj.

I've just roasted baby sprouts with bacon - they were delicious!

Ana D'aucy do the best tinned sprouts, i used to buy them all the time in Holland.

Grew up on an arable farm owned by a motor manufacturer. Sadly it's not there now.

Do you parboil them first Kitty?

Neither did I DJ until tonight.

No, Anya just tossed with chopped bacon, olive oil and s and p. they were tiny and I did them for about 40 minutes which was a touch too long I think. They needed schoosching quite often but ended up very sweet.

At a very good carvery a couple of weeks ago the chap carving the meat recommended blanching the sprouts and then cooking them in cream with a dash of white wine vinegar and lots of black pepper as in creamed leeks. I haven't tried it yet but I will as I didn't put them to on boil in October.

Slacking, Ann!!

Victoria Wood would have been very disappointed in me I know.

Sounds delish Kitty. Personally I would par-boil them for a few minutes first to cut done roasting time.

As for those who will pick them - I am really not sure that will be the case. Foreign pickers do not feel very welcome at the moment, but mainly, now the £ is so low and possibly getting even lower, their wage which is mostly sent back home to help families, or saved to buy or built a small family home on their return - is becoming lower and just not worth the sacrifice of being away from home and family.

Some of the unemployed in East Anglia might be persuaded to work in the fields if wages go up significantly - but there will be a knock on effect.

A lot of County farms have been sold off but some County Councils still own and rent them to tenant farmers.
Good to know that Staffordshire is still continuing with this.

We love sprouts and the DGC count how many each if them have on their plates (it has to be even or there's trouble) . I recently discovered dozen button sprouts and they are equally as delicious as fresh ones as long as you don't over cook them.

annsixty yours will be much too hard, I put mine on at the end of August.