Now for those of you who detest this harmless cruciferous veg, I am guessing you had a bad, bad experience with an over-cooked dish of sprouts. Not hard to believe since some of us grew up when mothers and grandmothers were still cooking the heck out vegetables. Gratefully, I did not have that experience. I imagine that my first bite of sprouts were fresh not frozen, perfectly cooked, and were actually quite sweet and pleasing. Come on, why else would I have stuck with them? And it wasn't until adulthood that I really got a taste of how sweet they could be when I finally tried roasting them. Seriously, yum.

Now for those that want to give Brussels sprouts another go, may I suggest pairing them with one of their favorite partners: Bacon. What is not to love about bacon? And bacon is something I did not like as a kid, clearly that has changed. Vegetarian or not a fan of the bacon? Brussels sprouts also like to hang out with chestnuts (thank the Belgians for this, and they too are popping up at the Farmers Markets), lemon or cream, just to name a few. And lately it's become rather popular to shred the little cabbages. Blanching them slightly, shredding, and turing into a favorite Fall and Winter salad. And if all this isn't reason enough, then perhaps their being absolutely vitamin, antioxidant, and fiber packed, can at least guilt you into trying them again? For your health and all...I'm just saying...

Back to the 'overcooking' thing for a moment. How to avoid overcooking and turning your sprouts into a sulfurous mess? If boiling or steaming do so for no more than 6-7 minutes. Braising or sauteing a bit more forgiving at about 10-12 minutes. And roasting? You can let them go for about 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees.

Look for small, tightly closed, firm, bright green sprouts, either on the stalk or off. Avoid any with yellowing or wilted leaves, or any that seem too soft and puffy. Store your sprouts, unwashed and untrimmed, in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week.

Now my absolute favorite way to eat Brussels sprouts is the simplest preparation -- wash and trim your sprouts (cut in half if on the larger side), toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. But since you are going to begin to think that is all I do with Fall vegetables, here is a salad starring the leafy green buds.

1 lb Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and cooked (boil or steam whole)

2 strips bacon, diced and cooked until crispy

1/4 cup toasted pecans (or walnuts if you prefer)

1/4 cup sliced red onion (want more? go for it, don't let me stop you)

1 1/2 oz. crumbled blue, goat or feta cheese

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste.

Toss the first five ingredients together. Drizzle on some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Toss again. How easy was that?