Simply think about, for a minute, what it should really feel wish to be a broccoli stem. You spend your total existence struggling to crown your self in flowers, solely to have the crown develop into the only object of appreciation, taking all of the glory for itself. Your stunning florets are stolen from you, destined to develop into a part of some exalted culinary creation, and also you, unhappy stalk, are tossed within the trash. It hurts. Actual unhealthy. Deep, deep down.

Nevertheless it would not must be that manner, nor ought to it. Broccoli stems deserve some consideration of their very own, which implies that in case you’re a kind of folks within the behavior of throwing them away, you may need to rethink that.

There’s rather a lot you are able to do with broccoli stalks. It helps to think about them like kohlrabi, which is nothing if not a big, bulbous stem of broccoli. Kohlrabi is sweet each uncooked and cooked, with a gentle taste and a crisp, juicy heart—and the identical goes for broccoli stems.

Sauté Them

You will need to begin by figuring out simply how powerful their exteriors are, peeling them off in the event that they’ve grown too picket with time. After that, you possibly can resolve what to do with them. If in case you have sufficient, you possibly can reduce them into batons or slices and sauté them in a sizzling pan with smoking oil, driving sufficient warmth into their surfaces to get some browned spots.

Pickle Them

You would additionally pickle them in a brine, just like the one I take advantage of on this quick-pickled asparagus recipe. It will work simply as effectively with broccoli stems. (And, in fact, you possibly can play with the flavorings, utilizing totally different herbs or omitting them, et cetera.)

Get pleasure from Them Uncooked

In all honesty, although, I not often make such a fuss. More often than not, I desire to eat the broccoli stems uncooked, both tossed right into a salad or organized on a plate and drizzled with some olive oil and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. They do not want a lot else. It makes for a enjoyable little predinner snack for the prepare dinner—only a deal with, nothing that can destroy your urge for food.

And, in case you occur to be making a platter of crudités, I implore you to incorporate broccoli stems among the many vegetable choice. Frankly, they’re far superior to these terrible uncooked florets, which get an excessive amount of of the glory as it’s—let’s not heap on much more that they do not deserve.

April 2017