What should I do with the red stems of my Swiss Chard?

[CTyankee]

I always chop them off and throw them away. Is there another use for them?

[kfred]

1. I always wondered to, but

I haven't tried this one: Using them for skewers like you can with rosemary for kabobs on a grill, not sure how they would hold up.

I have chopped them into chucks and used them for soup base much as you would carrots, onions and celery.

[CTyankee]

2. Oh, I assumed they were bitter...but then I never tasted them! nt

[Warpy]

7. That's what I'd try, too

The reason we discard them is because they're tough and fibrous. Finely chopping them might solve that little problem and you wouldn't have to "waste" them on the compost pile if you were starving. Chopped and hidden in a veggie soup sounds good.

I would not, however, use them as kabobs anywhere but on a broiling pan in the oven because they'd tend to mush out and get limp, leaving you with the equivalent of food skewered on string, not fun to try to pick off a grill. Rosemary stems work because they're woody.

[Paper Roses]

3. Can the stems be julienned and added to your cooking?

As a matter of fact, I might try to do just that. I have not bought any chard for a while, usually stir fry it up after washing and spinning it dry. A little salt and pepper, a little minced garlic or shallot.

I would think that the julienned stems would cook up nicely, just need to add them a minute before adding the leaves.

I don't know any other way to cook it.

[CTyankee]

4. Like broccoli rabe? I got the chard for an Italian pappardelle, sausage and chard dish,

so the chard stems sound like they'd cook up pretty nicely with this dish. I could try it...

[grasswire]

5. in vegetable stock if nothing else

Or in a nice soup or braise.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. I just cut them up and cook them along with the leaves.

I've seen recipes that call for braising the stems separately since they take a little longer to cook.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. That's exactly right.

They take longer to cook than the leaves. I slice them thinly and cook them first, then add the leaves.

[noamnety]

8. I cook them with the leaves

and sometimes throw them in soup. Sometimes I use chard in lasagna or quiche, the stems can be chopped and added, too.

[kestrel91316]

9. Oh, no, they aren't throwaways like collard stems/ribs. I always just

slice them up when I chop the leaves. I throw them in whatever I'm cooking; of late I just cook them in a tiny bit of water until tender and serve with vinegar in a bowl, just like spinach.

[japple]

11. I don't particularly like the taste of chard, raw or cooked, though I've tried to

use it in different ways. I like all other greens, but something about chard doesn't agree with me. I have a friend who grows a lot of it and she says she uses the stems just like celery--diced in stews, soups, and raw in salads, including chicken or tuna salad.