Greetings!
If you didn’t hear me talk about it at the CSA, I’m
mentioning it to you now that the Broccoli we got this week is all about the
stem/stalk…which is the best part! 😊
Over the years, I have been privileged to know a number of
fancy schmancy chefs, and they all agree that Broccoli stalks are the best part
of Broccoli, while most American home cooks will use the florets (the top part)
and throw the stalks out.
Turns out the stalks are more nutritious than the florets (I
did not know this till now 😊)…
And like I said, those in the know are fans of the stalks,
so here’s a few articles about how to prepare them and some recipes (out of all
these recipes there should be something that looks good enough to try making 😊)…
https://www.thekitchn.com/are-you-eating-the-best-part-of-broccoli-the-vegetable-butcher-220189
VERY easy recipe…
https://allwaysdelicious.com/are-broccoli-stems-edible/
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/stop-throwing-out-broccoli-stems
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-use-leftover-broccoli-stems-stalks
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-cook-broccoli-stalks-b4d1ff7
https://food52.com/blog/12761-why-you-shouldn-t-throw-away-your-broccoli-stems
https://www.foodnetwork.ca/article/delicious-ways-with-broccoli-stems/
This gal has a LOT of good ideas, including Broccoli Stalk
Baby Food! 😊
https://montanahappy.com/broccoli-stems/
And then don’t forget that the leaves are edible too…
https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2015/02/turn-over-a-new-broccoli-leaf
Why all this desire to inform y’all of how to eat every part
of this plant (and every other one too 😊)? When it comes to
animals, this style of cooking is called “nose to tail” (making culinary use of
every possible part of an animal so it doesn’t go to waste) and when it comes
to things in the plant kingdom it’s called “root to shoot”.
Food waste is bad for the planet and your pocketbook. You
paid for it, so why throw it out if you can turn it into something delicious
and nutritious? And a varied diet is a healthier diet…which includes different
parts of the same plant. Plus, household food waste is a major source of
greenhouse gasses which is making climate change worse so, you can help the
environment buy eating more of the delicious food you get at our CSA! 😊
Here’s a great website that talks about this issue…
https://foodprint.org/issues/the-problem-of-food-waste/
And a decent article and blog about sustainable cooking
(root to shoot/nose to tail…another thing I Iearned more about from my fancy
schmancy chef friends 😊)…
https://foodprint.org/cooking-sustainably/
A quick Google search led me to these two cookbooks about
the subject…
https://www.amazon.com/Root-Stalk-Cooking-Using-Vegetable/dp/1607744120
And what about those bits you trim from the stalk? They’re
good to go for a compost pile or bin/tumbler (you can even compost in an
apartment by worm composting…I’ve done it and it worked and was pretty nifty).
And if you don’t have a compost pile yet, check these out (of course, every
article has tips, tricks and ideas the other ones don’t). Composting is another
good thing for the planet and your yard/garden, and/or house plants (if you
don’t have a yard or a garden)…
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/07/828918397/how-to-compost-at-home
https://mashable.com/article/beginners-guide-to-composting
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-start-composting
https://www.marthastewart.com/331845/composting-101
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/composting-101/
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/how-to-compost/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/a23945/start-composting/
Happy cooking!
suzanne
