Roasted Brussels sprouts with lemon and Parmesan

The cheese gives the dish a salty-meatiness and the lemon provides a balancing freshness.

I rarely return home from the grocery store without some sort of brassica in my basket. This is the second week in a row we have enjoyed brussels sprouts roasted simply with a bit of parmesan finished with a squeeze of lemon. The cheese gives the dish a salty-meatiness and the lemon provides a balancing freshness. The dish could accompany a standard main course or stand on its own topped with a fried egg.

As one of the great 20th-century photographers, Edward Weston had an expansive 40-year career that established him as a innovative an influential master.

"Cabbage Leaf" was constructed during a time when Weston had a number of solo exhibitions. He did a series of abstract images of shells exploring their curving lines and fluid shapes. The series prompted him to continue his investigation with a collection of vegetable still-life images, from which "Cabbage Leaf" heralded.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon & Parmesan
Serves 4

500 grams (about 5 cups) Brussels sprouts, trimmed & quartered
2 tablespoons butter
pinch of chili powder
freshly ground black pepper + sea salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
lemon wedge

Preheat over to 200 degrees C. (about 400 degrees F.).

In an oven safe dish, lay the brussels sprouts in a single layer. Chop the butter into small cubes and evenly distribute over the sprouts. Cover with a light dusting of chili powder, black pepper and sea salt and a thin carpet of Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until the cheese has melted and the edges of the sprouts begin to brown. Remove from the oven and immediately squeeze over the fresh lemon. Serve warm.

Related post on Feasting on Art: Cabbage-Wrapped Meatballs

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