what do we have to complain about when the good weather bribes us into its arms and cradles our suspicions of brutal winters temporarily away? no complaints. the sun is bright and high and the breeze is minimal (a slight on the windchimes). some occasional crows have taken presence. the temperature is nurturing. no complaints and we’re left here with a native summer – warmth bathing our bones under the guise of autumn.
meanwhile our brussels sprout plants are doing well. they have been fattening their conditions up for months on end. they are strong and willing to graciously accept frost when it finally does arrive. it’s something about their structure that enthralls me – a psychedelic spinal chord of cabbage nodes. and as an added brassica bonus, their leaves are edible.
there is peace in my mind when a plant’s entirety is able to be consumed or utilized. for this meal i didn’t pluck too many leaves as the plants are still growing strong, however what they did gift me was a satisfying and nourishing meal. i’m a genuine fan of the wrap your contents in a leaf movement – nutritionally this seems far superior than bread (but emotionally my heart is still tied tight to it). today we wrap our contents within the brussels sprout leaves.
to accompany this divine collision of form and function: turnip rosemary hummus and balsamic carrot salad. i’m quite fond of both of these options as fillings because of how sincerely they sing the season’s song. when we are able to exchange our taste-buds with the earth’s offerings at that very moment in time we are encompassing the sweetest harmony we can choose.
- 8 brussels sprout leaves blanched and patted dry
- turnip hummus
- 1 cup cooked mung beans
- carrot salad
- 2 medium avocado
- sprouts (alfalfa, clover, broccoli, of choice)
- roasted turnip rosemary hummus:
- 1 lb turnips, chopped into wedges
- olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 sprig of rosemary, destemmed
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- juice from ½ lemon
- 2-3 tbl tahini
- carrot pine nut salad:
- 1 large carrot julienned
- 1 tbl pine nuts
- drizzle of balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp chili powder
- for the brussels sprout leaves: trim stems and slice out of leaves to enable flexibility. submerge leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds and transfer to cold/ice water to blanch. pat leaves dry. set aside.
- make the turnip hummus: preheat oven to 350 degrees. place turnips on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. add garlic, wrap, and roast in oven for 30 minutes. the last twenty minutes place chickpeas, drizzled with a little oil into the oven to roast.
- add turnip, garlic, rosemary, chickpeas, lemon juice, and tahini to food processor and process until smooth.
- make carrot salad: add carrot and pine nut together in small bowl and drizzle with balsamic. add chili powder.
- to assemble wraps: lay two leaves top to stem. add turnip hummus, mung beans, carrot salad, avocado, sprouts. fold in sides, tuck under and roll.
Yum! I love bread, too, but leaf wraps feel so earthy and special. I didn’t know you could eat brussel sprout leaves, but it’s so cool you can use every part of that goodness. And your roasted turnip rosemary hummus sounds incredible! This has all the signs of a winner to me!
xx Sydney
Hi Sydney and thank you sweetly for the awesome words and visit! It’s definitely amazing being able to do leafy wraps – especially with the brussels sprouts! If you get a chance to try the hummus I recommend it with a full and happy heart. Happy oncoming weekend. ♥
wow, these look stunning! I’ve never tried turnip hummus, so must give it a go. I love all the brassica family, and use every part except the roots in my cooking. Thanks for a lovely recipe – enjoy the remainder of autumn/fall:)
thank you for the lovely words Christine! i apologize for the belatedness on my part. the turnip hummus is savory and delicious, a perfect accompaniment to the wrap itself. i am also a huge fan of the brassica family, it seems to be very giving in the way of nourishment. i hope you’re enjoying your season as well. ♥
This is so beautiful! I’m a huge fan of leafy wraps {my husband on the other hand remains unwavering on their inferiority to bread though, but grumpily complies with my leaf-loving}. I had no idea you could use brussles’ leaves though. New to me, but they look absolutely stunning. Now I’m excited to try <3
Audrey let me know if you give brussels sprout leaves a go! They work very well for their use as a wrap. Also they impart a slight natural sprout flavor (which I find irresistible in any form). Thank you so much for your sweetness.
Hey Danielle, your blog is a thing of beauty! You write so gently and lovely. So glad to ‘connect’ with you (the power of the internet hey?!)
I adore the look of this recipe, what a great way to use up something that is otherwise left for scraps. These wraps sound delicious and I’m itching to test them out.
Happy Wednesday xx
Happy Wednesday Sua, and it’s a surefire pleasure to be able to connect! (crazy internet!). I’m so glad you were able to check me out – these wraps are a thing of my heart. As long as my brussels are around I’m going to carefully select leaves for nourishment. And then I figure that when they’re done producing, well, it’ll be time to party hard. 😉 It really is remarkable to find uses for the entire plant if it allows. ♥
Your blog is so beautiful, what a wonderfully gifted writer you are, thanks so much for sharing with us
Thank you so much for your lovely and warm words Susannah, they mean so much to me. I’m happy to have your presence, and so incredibly grateful my words have reached someone. Have a lovely coming weekend. ♥