Word of the day: Kohlrabi

"I'm going to need some help finding the kohlrabi," said the woman standing next to me at our CSA pick-up last week.

I had never heard of kohlrabi either, until joining our CSA last year. But these alien-like bulbs have been a welcome addition to our dinner table. As a part of the cabbage family, they taste a bit like broccoli, but have a texture reminiscent of an apple. They are satisfyingly crisp when eaten raw, which, in my humble opinion, is the best way to eat them.

Here is what wikipedia says about the origin of the name "kohlrabi":

The name comes from the German Kohl ("cabbage") plus Rübe ~ Rabi (Swiss German variant) ("turnip"), because the swollen stem resembles the latter. The same roots are also found in the German word Kohlrübe, which refers to the rutabaga.

The vegetable consists of two main parts: the bulb and the leaves. Both are edible, though the bulb is more commonly eaten than the greens. Here's what I recommend doing with the bulb:

1. Cut off all adjoining stems and peel with a sharp knife. (I cut myself the other day trying to peel one with a peeler. I don't recommend trying that.) Be sure to remove all the tough skin.

2. Cut in half and then slice thinly.

3. Make a homemade dip by combining some plain whole milk yogurt, sour cream (I recommend Daisy brand because it has no additives or hormones, and is affordable; of course grass-fed organic is ideal but not always realistic), and homemade ranch dressing mix.

4. Dip your sliced kohlrabi into your homemade dip! Yum!

You can also chop it and put it in salads, or you can cook it. But I prefer it raw.

Now how about those leaves? I can't stand wasting food, especially nutritious food. So I try to use the greens as well as the bulb. I threw some into my homemade chicken noodle soup the other day. You can use them anywhere you'd use other greens. If you don't know what to do with greens, check out this post I did for Kitchen Stewardship: 5 Easy and Delicious Ways to use up CSA greens.

If you're a part of a CSA this year and you had no idea how to use up your kohlrabi, I hope this helps! If not, go to your local farmers market and pick some up; you won't be disappointed! :)

This is part of Monday Mania.

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