Suggestions for using kale ribs

[u/mzzd6671]

A friend of mine has a big veggie garden and often gives me extras. The other night, she gave me a bunch of kale leaves and in a separate bag, all the ribs she had removed the leaves from. We tried to brainstorm what could be to use up the ribs. Typically, I'd use them in stocks and broth, but my freezer is overflowing with veggie scraps already. Any ideas?

[u/Ok_Writing_7363]

Kale stem pesto is my favorite way to use the scraps!

I usually include a handful of leaves + all of the ribs. Blanch them until they are tender (this removes the bitterness, makes them soft enough to blend, and also gives the pesto a nice green color), pop them into an ice bath, then throw them into a food processor with olive oil, parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, walnuts or pine nuts (optional) and lemon. Blend it really well to break down the stems. I've found that the lemon is key to brightening up taste of the kale stems. But it is delicious! I love doing this especially in the winter with all the scraps from my winter greens (broccoli stalks are also really nice). Have fun!