Chard Stems with Lemon

Ever feel a bit bad about throwing away perfectly good chard stems?  After you cook the leaves, save the stems for this simple but great recipe. 

ingredients

stems from 1 bunch of chard
several thyme sprigs
lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
grated zest of one lemon
best olive oil you can find
chopped parsley

instructions

Trim the stems so that they are even on the top and bottom, and then cut into 3-inch sections.  Put one to two quarts of water in a sauté pan (enough to cover the stems).  Add the thyme, the juice from half a lemon, and about a teaspoon of salt for each quart of water.  Bring to a simmer and add the stems, and cook until tender (easily pierced with a fork).  Drain, and then put the stems on a platter and stir them with the lemon zest, olive oil, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.