Recipes for Broccoli Stems

I'm the kind of cook who hates to waste anything edible. Whether it's the last wedge of lemon, a heel of bread, or some leftover potatoes, I always try to find a way to use everything up. In the spirit of making use of every last bit, I want to share some recipes for broccoli stems.

Many people cut the crowns off their broccoli, cook the florets and toss the stems. However, the stems are perfectly edible. The simplest way to use them is to sauté or roast them right alongside the florets, but I was also intrigued by these dishes that use only the stalks. To prepare stems, I cut off the end and any protruding bits, and peel them with a sharp vegetable peeler (sometimes you need to peel more than one layer to remove the woody exterior). I hope these recipes inspire you to cook every bit of broccoli that you bring home from the store.

I made this Broccoli Stem Salad recipe from Quinciple's blog The Sift, and it was pretty darn good. I added some slivered kalamata olives for an extra kick of flavor. The trick here is to let the stems marinate in the vinaigrette.

Pan-Fried Broccoli Stems from the New York Times sound delicious (and easy to make!).

Bon Appetit offers Sautéed Broccoli with Floret Vinaigrette, a dish from Oxheart restaurant in Houston, TX. This recipe uses the whole broccoli, so isn't really a stem-only recipe, but I bet you could use the technique with a basic vinaigrette and get delicious results.

Also: This recipe from The First Mess for "green goddess" pizza is intriguing--broccoli stem pesto!