Do Brussels Sprouts Come From Brussels?

There are only two vegetables I really, REALLY don't like: brussels sprouts and okra.  With okra it's the slime factor, but on NPR's Weekend Edition this morning Leann Hansen read a letter from a listener who said if you don't like okra slime, just eat it raw. I never would have thought of that.

And a few hours later when I stopped by KIXX Boutique on Main Street, Laura (the very stylish stylist) told me -- pretty much out of the blue -- that if you saute half a cup of pancetta or prosciutto or turkey bacon and chop up a bunch of raw brussels sprouts and dump them into the pan with the sauteed whatever and cook it until the sprouts turn bright green, and then add some slivered almonds and pepper, even snickity-pickity-eater children will scarf it up. 

It sounded so oddly tasty that I dashed right over to the Co-op to buy brussels sprouts and pancetta, neither of which they had (let it be known that I will never in this life or any other voluntarily purchase okra).  So I improvised and bought prosciutto and chard.

Nancy was in her art room off the kitchen while I was whipping up my KIXX Boutique lunch. "Hmmmmmmmm," she called out (she has a keen sense of smell). I ignored her.  "HMMMMMMMMM," she said again. Finally, she came in the kitchen and stood over the stove. "What's that in the pan?" she asked.

"Prosciutto and onions."

"Hmmmmmmm," she said. "What are you chopping up?"

"Chard."

"So what would you call this dish?" she asked.

"Chard with proscuitto and onions."

"Hmmmmmmm," she said, drooling into the pan and looking for all the world like Oliver Twist.

Laura the stylish stylist was right.  Even snickety-pickety-eater kids will love this dish! Improvised or not.