Lo and behold

This is embarassing. But we're all friends here, so no laughing please. This is the state of my Brussels sprouts' leaves:

A nice way to describe them would be forlorn. A more honest way would be pathetic. But! Hope springs eternal, and despite their tattered appearance (which, since we're being honest, they started sporting around mid August when I stopped being able to comfortably lean over to pick the worms off), I left them in the ground. 

And over Christmas, a miracle occurred. I went out to pick some arugula, and lo and behold, when I bent down to check on the Brussels sprouts, there were actual buds on the stalks. Big ones! Edible ones! Happy New Year!

I'm not sure if this is an argument for lazy gardening or just a lucky accident, but I'll take it. Any year.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH RED ONIONS, WALNUTS, AND BACON (FAT)

Who loves bacon fat? Brussels sprouts. And of course, I do. Whenever we cook bacon, we save the fat in a jar for later. Walnuts add a nice crunch to this dish, while red onions bring together the flavors with a little bit of sweetness.

1 stalk Brussels sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, and halved (about 1 pint)

1 small red onion, peeled and chopped

a handful of walnuts

1 tablespoon bacon fat

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss together the Brussels sprouts, red onions, walnuts, bacon fat, and olive oil in a small roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the nuts are nicely toasted and the Brussels sprouts are just tender. Serve hot.