With today’s food prices, there’s no reason to waste anything. When I cut off the florets for broccoli salads and was left with the stems, I decided to make pickled broccoli stems. I make a variation on this recipe by Martha Rose Shulman for The New York Times.
I trimmed and peeled the broccoli when I removed the florets. I cut the stems into 1/4 wide rectangular sticks and put them in a bowl, sprinkled about 1 TSP of kosher salt on them and put the cover on it and shook it to distribute the salt evenly. I stuck it in the fridge and left it there until the next day.
I drained the water off and added 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 TBSP of balsamic vinegar and 1 TBSP of olive oil. I almost always use a much higher vinegar to oil ratio than dressing recipes call for. I also up the garlic because I really like that bite. I covered it up again and left it in the fridge overnight. Now it is rich with garlicky flavor accented by the lovely rich flavor of balsamic. It’s incredibly flavorful and aromatic, making it a delightful, satisfying snack.
Single Servings 