When the most recent batch of local produce came from our Harmony Valley CSA last week, my kids wanted their pictures taken with each new vegetable. My daughter's colorful dress seemed like the perfect backdrop for this beautiful purple kohlrabi, which we ate over the weekend. To my less-than-expertly-trained palate, kohlrabi - which I'd never eaten before - tastes very much like cabbage.
Firm in the middle (not layered, like cabbage), kohlrabi tastes great in smallish, match-stick sized pieces. The salad we ate it in - not a big hit in our house, I'll admit - included Yukina savoy (a salad green that's also new to us, reminding me of spinach or mustard greens), but I went straight for the tasty the kohlrabi, which had been marinated in fresh squeezed lime juice and chili powder. Next time I'll know to peel its skin first. I found an excellent article about how to use kohlrabi on the site Care2, which uses the Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O'Connor as its source. Here's an excerpt:
Kohlrabi can be one of those intimidating vegetables if you haven’t been around it much. It has the look of an organic green Sputnik, with a taste like fresh, crunchy broccoli stems accented by radish. The name kohlrabi comes from the German kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, or turnip, and that kind of sums it up. Although these green bulbs look like they were dug up from the earth, the round bulb is a swollen stem that grows above ground. Not a commonly used vegetable in American cuisine, kohlrabi is widely used in Central Europe and Asia. It is still patiently waiting to be discovered in this country.
There's loads more information on the Care2 site, including how kohlrabi grows and how to prepare it. I'm looking forward to getting another few beautiful, tasty, green and purple bulbs soon.
