Question: “I have-been collecting recipes for swiss chards and I want to make a stir fry tonight, with onions and garlic. But I realized that all the recipes I have call for cutting the stems off. Is there any special reason for this? Are the stems bitter or tough? Should I add them to my stir fry? Thanks!”
Sens by Mary
Editor: Everything is edible in Swiss Chards. Just to break the stem and take off the very thin transparent film in the direction of your side. This allows you to have softer pieces and imbibe the sauce for a better taste. You can avoid peeling if you cut chards very thinly. The stems are not bitter nor tough (if they aren’t huge), but they do require longer cooking time. I often start with the stems first, then add the leaves so they are done at the same time. Alternatively, there are recipes that call for the stems only.
Swiss chard recipes:
