One Great . . . use for broccoli stems

After I wrote a column on cooking with garbage, AKA making use of every bit in the kitchen, Cynthia Ross Bradford of York sent me a nice note with a recipe.

"It reminded me of a classic recipe that I have prepared since I took a Gourmet Vegetarian Cookery class in 1976. A wonderfully delicious way to use something that almost always gets discarded."

I'm with Cynthia: Broccoli stems aren't as obvious as florets, but there is too much good stuff there to throw them away. You do need to peel them so they're not too fibrous, but a good vegetable peeler does the trick.

Marinated Broccoli Stems

Stems from 3 to 4 broccoli stalks
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon white wine or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

PEEL the stems, then slice diagonally or cut into bite-size chunks. Put them in a mason jar (or other resealable container) with the salt. Shake it up and refrigerate overnight.

DRAIN the jar the next day and rinse the broccoli if desired. Return the stems to the jar and add the garlic, wine or vinegar and olive oil. Shake it up and refrigerate until ready to use. Use on salads or antipasto plates.