We love greens of any type, so I am always on the lookout for fresh, locally grown greens on market days. I recently bought a huge bunch of bietole, or swiss chard, that we cut up and used in a number of dishes. The stems however I saved to simply blanch, and then after I sprinkle on some fresh seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with grated parmesan cheese, I pop them in the oven to brown the crumb topping and then serve the stems as a side dish. I have known folks to buy chard, cut off the green tops to use in their recipes and then simply throw away the stems which is really a waste of a good vegetable side dish!
Bietole Stems Trimmed & Cleaned
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Bietole Stems au Gratin
When you use the leafy part of fresh greens, reserve the stems to prepare in this manner as a tasty side dish.
Ingredients
- Stems From One Large Bunch Bietole (Swiss Chard)
- 1 1/2 Cups Homemade Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Trim the stems of any brown areas and cut them into 3 inch pieces.
- Blanch the stems in boiling salted water for 2 or 3 minutes or until they are fork tender, then drain.
- Oil an oven-proof casserole dish and place the stems in the dish.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the crumb topping ingredients until the mixture is well blended.
- Sprinkle the mixture over the stems and then bake for about 10 minutes or until the crumb topping has begun to brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2 cupsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 303Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 596mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g