Crunchy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I'm not going to lie. I've never been a fan of Brussels sprouts. But I acutally ate these down and even enjoyed them. Simplest recipe and edible, besides. So why eat Brussels sprouts? Because they are one of those dark, leafy greens that are supposed to pump your body full of good stuff.Brussels sprouts have vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, E and K, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, folate, phosphorous, protein, copper and calcium. Wow, huh? And if that doesn't convince you, try cooking them this way and you might be surprised like I was by how good they taste too:

Trim the ends of about 1 1/2 lbs of Brussels sprouts. Mix them in a bowl with 3 - 4 Tbsp of olive oil, salt & pepper (to taste). Place on a cookie sheet in one layer, and cook in a 400ºF preheated oven for 40 minutes or until slightly brown-blackened. Most people like these better with lots of salt, so if you like salty, crunchy snacks and your blood pressure is good... sprinkle liberally with salt. Eat hot, fresh out of the oven.

Tomato & Smoked Gouda Pie

This delicious recipe is from my friend Catherine Healey. It's so wonderful with fresh tomatoes from my garden! This is definitely going on my end-of-summer cooking list from now on.

2 cups shredded or grated smoked Gouda cheese
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/4 tsp of Nutmeg (or to taste)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
Tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
4 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled or unpeeled as desired, cored and
cut into small pieces
Single Pie Crust (your favorite recipe or buy an uncooked refrigerated crust)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh Basil (for garnish)

In a small bowl, combine cheese, flour and nutmeg, mixing well; set aside. In a small heavy skillet, saute onion in butter for about 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender, but not browned. Prepare pie crust for baking according to package directions and fit into a9-inch pie plate; flute edge of crust to form a standing ridge. Turn cheese-flour mixture into crust. Combine onion mixture and tomato pieces; spread mixture over cheese. Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomato mixture. Bake in preheated moderate oven (375 degrees) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender and cheese is melted. Serve warm or at room temperature.