on vegetable trimmings

This evening, while once again separating the leafy bits of some kale from the ribs so as to cook them both separately, I found myself once again perplexed at the idea that one might discard the ribs (or the stalks of broccoli, or...) as opposed to... just? chopping them up? and adding them to the pan a bit before the leafy bits? Which an awful lot of kale-based recipes advocate (or, more coyly, say "use in another dish"), which I've had reason to discover as (thanks to the veg box delivery) we have been eating A Lot More Kale this past year or so.

Meanwhile the veg box also regularly sends us fancy carrots with the greens still attached, and extols the virtues of turning said greens into pesto!!! ... which I have attempted once and That Was Quite Enough, Thanks. It is not as though I am not fond of umbellifer leaves! I will quite happily eat a parsley sandwich! and yet Carrot Top Pesto (e.g.) appears to have a remarkable number of very earnest devotees.

Obviously enough people (who like brassica) don't consider misc brassica stems a delicacy that Tenderstem® Broccoli is a whole entire Premium thing, but it baffles me. As does the idea that carrot tops are food in anything but extremis.

No conclusions here, at least not yet, but. Now paying more attention for other possible examples!