Amen!
I like the white stems raw and crunchy. Sweeter than carrots and juicy enough to quench my thirst. I think the stems are best like appetizers, cut into 2-3 inch lengths and as thick as a little finger. Then chill in water so they are as crisp and plump as possible. I think they lose a lot of sweetness and crispness within a few hours of picking.
If I let the stems get so old that the outer stems have strings, I eat them outside and enjoy spitting wads of strings like watermelon seeds, trying for distance.
Leaves that old go better in soup than in salad, or I suppose I could steam them as hearty greens. I've read that, in China, big old leaves are sun-dried and stored for winter soups.
If I still had a gas stove I would stir-fry the leaves, but an electric range isn't as good.
i think of them as a spinach substitute in salad, rather than a lettuce substitute.
