Description
A great use for the stalks from your swiss chard!
Ingredients
- Chard stems. At least a bunch.
- Tahini. At least a big spoonful. If you don’t have tahini, you could sub peanut butter and maybe some sesame oil – experiment!
- Olive oil. A quick pour.
- Lemon juice. A quick pour.
- Garlic. One to 6 cloves.
- Salt. To taste.
Instructions
- Fill a pot about 2/3 with water and turn on the heat.
- Chop the chard stems into small pieces.
- Once the water boils, drop the chard stems in and leave them for 20 minutes, or until they’re soft.
- Chop the garlic.
- (Optional) I don’t like my garlic to be too intense, so I often sauté it for a few minutes until it begins to soften and mellow. You could also roast it.
- Check on the chard stems periodically. They should be softening.
- Once they’re soft, remove them from heat. Unfortunately some of their lovely color will be lost to the cooking water. If you’re especially committed, let that water cool and then pour it into the bag you use for collecting scraps for stock.
- Put the chard stems, garlic, tahini, olive oil, salt and lemon juice into a food processor. Blend until you get a smooth texture.
- Add oil, tahini, lemon, olive oil and salt until you get to a flavor and texture balance you like.
- Enjoy on veggies, crackers and sandwiches!
Notes
Here at EatOrToss we always encourage working with what you have and not getting too hung up on amounts of specific ingredients (which can lead you to buy more food you need to use up, and risks food going to waste). But if you’re craving more precise quantities, we understand! Check out similar recipes from The New York Times, Food52 and Bon Appetit.