Swiss chard is one of those especially generous veggies that stays in season almost all year long. We’re sure you’re already bringing home bundles of those gorgeous, multi-colored leaves from the farmers market each week, but are you treating those sturdy stems the way they deserve? If you’ve been wondering what to do with them, fret no more—Chefs Boot Camp alum Jordan Lloyd has a #WasteNot recipe for a chard stem gratin that will rescue those hearty stalks from the compost bin and keep you coming back for more.
Lloyd starts the dish by briefly blanching the stems in salted water to ensure tenderness, then shocks them in an ice bath. Next he sweats out some shallots and garlic while he reduces cream on the stove. He mounts the cream with Parmesan and seasons it with nutmeg before layering up the gratin (pro tip: a layer of caramelized onions on the bottom adds a luxurious sweetness to the dish). Topped with panko bread crumbs, more Parmesan, and butter, and baked to an irresistible golden-brown, it’s the most indulgent, waste-friendly way to eat your greens. Get the recipe.
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The James Beard Foundation's new cookbook, Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, offers up a host of delicious solutions to the pressing problem of food waste. Featuring 100 recipes from alumni of our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, Waste Not will teach you how to turn every root, bone, rind, and stem into an irresistible dish.
Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, published by Rizzoli, is on sale now. Order your copy today!
Frank Guerriero is the media assistant at the Beard Foundation. Find him on Instagram.
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