It wasn’t until I started reading about the stems of herbs, more specifically coriander stems, that I realised that this was such an issue!

For years I have always used the whole plant, if fresh and tender. Little be known to me the vast majority of the western world has been politely picking of the leaves and disregarding the rest. Have I been so wrong in this?! One blog I read even suggested that this was a big faux pas! I’m happy to discover that no I wasn’t wrong and chefs are starting to turn back the clock on needless waste.

What I do…

No earth shattering news here.. I simply chop them up finer and sprinkle into the dish a bit sooner than I normally would. Or in the case below I froze them and then dropped them in without defrosting.

What you get…

Little punches of intense flavour with every mouthful!

Or you could…

Drop the stems into oils with peppercorns to infuse.

Tie them with other left over herb stems and drop them in stock.

Blitz them with olive oil, add seasoning and then drizzle over a salad or a soup.

Marinade?!

Simply chop them and toss them in a salad to give a crunchy texture.

Add them to stir fries…

I could go on but hopefully you get my point… THEY CAN BE USED!

Enjoy!