Baked Swiss Chard Stems Recipe with Olive Oil and Parmesan

Last week I posted a great recipe for Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares, and told everyone not to throw away their chard stems, since I'd spotted this recipe on Up a Creek without a PatL. Pat also introduced me to the book the recipe came from, Vegetables Every Day, without a doubt one of the best cookbooks I've ever owned. (Thanks again, Pat!) The cookbook version of Swiss Chard Stems with Butter and Parmesan was no doubt delicious, but I decided to substitute the butter for a slight misting of olive oil, and it still tasted wonderful. I think it would take as many as three bunches of chard to come up with the pound of chard stems the original recipe calls for, but I used the stems from one bunch of chard which made about two servings (or in my case, a whole dinner because I ate the entire thing at one sitting.) If you like chard but haven't stumbled on a good way to cook the stems, this is simple and delicious, and I love the idea that you're making a side dish out of something that might get thrown away.

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