Mr. Bill wrote:
> On Thu, 2 Apr 2009 13:01:36 +0100, "john aston"
> > wrote:
>> would anyone know of a good combination of vegetables and anything else that
>> would work well in a low cost combination? also for non-vegetarians I
>> thought I could add some mince beef at the end, is that a good idea?
>
> One item that most people discard are broccoli stems. I take the
> crown apart for cooking and then slice the stems on the bias. Blanch
> and then chill in ice water bath. I freeze them for later use. They
> really add a nice crunch and have to be a more moderately priced
> ingredient. We also enjoy carrots and celery in our stir frys.
>

Broccoli stems are without a doubt the best part. It has been next to
impossible to find broccoli with attached stems in the past year or two.