Brussels sprouts

Sprouts are the most bitter of the edible brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, swede and broccoli), but bitter can be good provided it is not combined with the abuse of overcooking. It is the harnessing of this bitterness that gets sprouts singing through a dish. Contrast it with the sweetness of chestnuts; pair it with the acidity of balsamic vinegar, the richness of honey and the toasty crunch of pine nuts; or balance it with cream and bacon in an oozy gratin.

Sprout tops can be picked and treated as a mini, open-hearted cabbage. This encourages the plant to put its energy into filling the sprouts higher on the plant, rather than into growing new sprouts. But the tops do tend to be a bit tough and bitter, and often host a colony of sheltering aphids, so we seldom send them out in our veg boxes unless other greens are in very short supply.