Fall has arrived, but not in a bad way! The weather is cooler but it has managed to get up to about +20C in one corner of our backyard the past couple of afternoons. Naturally, I am dragging my chair over and soaking in the sun every moment I can because I know this won’t last. Soon the ground will be covered with leaves and my mind will turn to pumpkin carving. But for now (anyone who knows me will guess what’s coming)… it’s OCTOBER-FEST. And you know what that means… BEER!!!

Actually, it means more than BEER! It means warm, comforty German fare; sausages and braised cabbage, schnitzel, beer and cheddar soup, sauerkraut, crispy fried potatoes with onions. Mmmmmmm. I was in a sausage and braised cabbage kind of mood last weekend but, alas, had no cabbage. I did, however, have a bag of “fairy cabbages” (those are brussels sprouts to anyone who didn’t grow up in Husband’s odd fantasy world) from my local farmers market. Winner, winner, ummm, brussels sprouts dinner?

Don’t knock it ’til you fry it. ;)… Ugh… sorry! I don’t think my sense of humour is quite as bad in real life… this blog does something to me.

1 lb brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed, thinly sliced (about 1/8th inch) lengthwise (using a mandolin will cut down on your work tremendously, but watch those fingers!)
1 crisp apple, cored and diced
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
4-6 oz pancetta (or bacon), sliced into batons
glug of olive oil
salt
pepper
1 TBS maple syrup

Place large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook pancetta until just starting to crisp. Add shallots and continue to fry until pancetta is crisp and shallots are browned.

Add shredded brussels sprouts and apple to the pan, along with a glug of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together and turn down heat to medium. Cover the pan and continue to cook, removing cover to stir every minute or so, until the brussels sprouts are tender-crisp, about 5-6 minutes.

Remove cover and drizzle with maple syrup. Toss for another minute. Taste and re-season if necessary. We enjoyed this alongside pork and apple sausages and some tiny new potatoes, roasted until crispy with garlic and rosemary. And of course a beer.