What's in Season: Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is great. It has a funny name, it's fun to look at it and it's fun to eat. 

Kohl means cabbage and Rabi means turnip in German.

It's incredibly versatile and definitely doesn't get the attention it deserves. 

Buying: Kohlrabi varieties come in different shades of green and purple skins with white flesh. Generally, the green varieties are sown midspring to midsummer whereas the purples are available midsummer to midfall. Look for kohlrabi that is about the size of a tennis ball as larger bulbs will be woodier, tougher, and almost inedible. The skins should be firm and wrinkle-free. 

Storing: Kohlrabi is a great for storing. It should be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks.  Signs of yellowing on the skin and leaves indicate the vegetable is not fresh. 

Medical: low in calories, high in fiber and potassium, has Vitamin A and C

Eating:  Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a delicate woody, mild nutty flavor with a lot of crunch.  The taste is commonly described as a mix between that of a turnip, cabbage, and cauliflower. If the kohlrabi is young and small, the outer skin does not need to be peel, but definitely for larger bulbs - you will be able to tell the difference as the skin will be too tough to eat. Trim off the protruding stems and scrub clean. They can be boiled for about 20-30 minutes and then eaten whole, sliced, mashed....put them in some tin foil with some olive oil and seasoning and stick them on the grill. Although the flavor comes out more when cooked until tender, raw kohlrabi is great eaten just as a crunch snack - add it to a crudités platter or grate it onto salads or coleslaw for some shredded crunchiness. 

I like the tentacles. antennas. 

I made this dish using stuff that I had in my fridge, but I really enjoyed it. 

1 kohlrobi thinly sliced, then sliced lengthwise into matchsticks 1/4 inch wide, 2 inches long

1/2 red pepper, sliced into matchsticks similar to the kohlrobi slices

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced - not diced

1/4 green apple, sliced into similar matchsticks 

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

a couple bunches of fresh dill chopped up

salt and pepper

lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 garlic clove, crushed

crumbled gorgonzola

a handful of pea shoots

Add all the ingredients except for the pea shoots in a large bowl and mix gently with your hands so that everything is evenly coated and the flavors join together. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add some of the pea shoots and mix again. Taste the seasoning and add more salt to counteract the lemon if needed. When serving, lift out of the bowl into serving bowls to leave most of the juices in the mixing bowl. Garnish with the rest of the pea shoots.