Using Broccoli Leaves? Any suggestions?

[RosieL]

I love cooking collards and kale, usually just braised with some garlic, onion, and vinegar. Can I do the same with broccoli leaves? Has anyone ever used them? I have a tone and they need to be cut back, but I don't just want to toss them on the compost pile.

[goldenwillow]

I think you should be able to utilize them.  How about making chips with them?  We eat kale chips here, never tried broccoli though.  Bake at 350ish with olive oil or coconut oil with a tad of himalayan sea salt.  Thanks for the thought! 

Found this...  may inspire.

http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread/31231/cooking-broccoli-leaves

[RosieL]

Cool, thanks! I know I can google for it, but I don't always love non-tested recipes. Do you have a kale chip recipe you've tried and like? I've never made them. 

[goldenwillow]

It is super easy and most kiddos dig them.

Place them on a baking sheet and sprinkle your favorite oil and salt (to taste) and bake at 350ish.  Be sure to watch em close.  They cook fast and I have never been able to get a real cook time down.  If they do over cook, they just taste a little smokey. 

I second the non-tested recipes.  Sometimes gets my creativity going though. 

[goldenwillow]

Wanted to add... we cut the stem off where the leaf begins before cooking. 

[RosieL]

So you leave a good bit of the stem on, that's good to know. With collards or mustard greens I always cut or rip the whole stem off. 

I'm excited to make these. I'll come back to report. I have guests (a family of four) arriving today for ten days, so this will be one of the dishes we cook together form the garden. 

[goldenwillow]

Awesome!  The spring here was horrible and our summer has been really the same.  Our garden is trying.... 

Would love to hear how it goes. 

Enjoy your guests!

[mckittre]

I've made kale chips with broccoli leaves, and just thrown them into stir-fries or soups too.  Works fine.

[RosieL]

These turned out SO GOOD. We tossed the leaves in bacon fat (a very light coating) and then sprinkled a bit of salt in, baked for about 10 minutes. 

[goldenwillow]

Sounds super yummy!  Gotta love bacon fat!  Glad it turned out.  My husband thought they may be bitter...  I will pass along to him that it was a success.  On Friday we made more kale chips and he decided to take the stems and cut them small (like a green onion) and sauteed them... not good.  Worth a shot.  Suppose we could put them in a soup.  They are still on the stove

[RosieL]

We tried the raw leaves and thought they would be inedibly bitter as chips, because they were definitely inedible raw! But with the fat and salt they were very yummy. Even picky kids thought they were great. I wonder whether they would keep long enough for a party. We had to be really sparing with the bacon fat and just mix and toss very well. Too much bacon made it too hard to get them crispy.