Monday, February 10, 2014

Chard Stems with Sesame-Yogurt Sauce and Black Sesame Seeds


A couple of days ago I made this chard soup. It was fantastic. Today I'm following another recipe from the same cookbook, "Vegetable Literacy" by Deborah Madison that uses the chard stems. I know, a recipe just for stems. I wasn't sure what this would taste like. But it turns out this is really, really good. The flavor comes from a sauce made with thick yogurt, tahini paste and a few other ingredients. Madison finishes the dish with a teaspoon of black sesame seeds, which I forgot to do. It was a striking dish without them, but I can see how they would add to the finishing touch.

Ingredients:

The stems from 12 or more leaves chard (rainbow chard is actually recommended because of the colors)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, halved
1 tablespoon tahini
1/3 cup thick yogurt (I used Fage)
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 lemon, quartered


Trim the ends, then cut the stems into 4 -inch lengths.

Bring a shallow skillet of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon or so salt, the oil, half the garlic clove, and the chard stems and simmer until the stems are tender. The best way to find out if they are ready is to remove a piece, slice into it, and take a bite. It can take as little as 4 or 5 minutes, or somewhat longer, depending on the size and age of the stems. Remove them and place in a colander or clean kitchen towel.

To make the sauce, pound the remaining half garlic clove with 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Add the tahini and yogurt and work together to form a smooth sauce. Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, after several minutes, then pour them onto a plate to cool.

Loosely arrange the chard stems and leaves on individual plates. Add a spoonful of the sauce and a wedge of lemon to each plate. Finish with the sesame seeds. Serve chilled or a room temperature. Enjoy!

Cheri Savory Spoon
Cheri Savory Spoon

Mysavoryspoon was first started in 2010 as a way to journal recipes that I had collected from cookbooks, magazines, family and friends. Most everything was savory, using legumes and whole grains. Along the way I discovered a love for baking. Now a couple times a month you might see some type of sweet pie or treat.

20 comments:

  1. I never knew you could use the chard stems as well. How neat! I like recipes that use every part of the plant, so this is really cool :)

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    1. Thanks Tammy, I do too, makes me feel like I am not wasting!

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  2. I tend to struggle with chard stems; most of the time I just discard them. This is such a clever way to use them.
    Thanks for sharing Cheri!

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    1. And this was good too, I was not sure what to expect.thanks Mike

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  3. Chard stems are so good; I always add them in when cooking the greens. Love it that you've made them the star!

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  4. This looks heavenly. I love chard stems! I usually chop them up and add them in with the leaves, but they are so beautiful this way.

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  5. I have yoghurt and tahini at home and will make something similar tonight! thank you for the inspiration :)

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    1. Hi Tandy, I usually always have yogurt and tahini at my house too.

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  6. I never know what to do with chard stems! This is pretty perfect.

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  7. I have never bought chard before, so I would not know what to do with it. At least now I have a recipe for something if I happened to buy it one day!

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    1. Chard is one of the best leaf veggies, enjoy if you do!

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  8. I love that this uses the stems that most people would just throw away! Sounds tasty with tahini and garlic, mmmm.

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    1. Thanks Kelly, tahini and garlic are so good on many things.

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  9. I love a recipe that uses bits that would normally go to the chickens, the worms or the compost. It sounds really good.

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  10. I can't wait to try to cook some stems. Who would have thought! Great recipe, thanks! :) ela

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    1. Hi Elzieta, it's fun to try different things and even nicer when they turn out. Thanks!

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  11. I am guilty of throwing away the stems, this is a great idea.

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