Hi Rootabaga Subscribers,
Welcome to this week’s produce reveal. We have an extra exciting bag for you today because it features a new vegetable! Now that we’re into the January growing season that doesn’t happen often, so it’s extra special when it does. Without further ado, we welcome kohlrabi! If you don’t know what kohlrabi is, you’re not alone. Once we get it on the shelves at Uprooted we always get lots of fun questions about what to do with this unique looking vegetable. Kohlrabi is part of the brassica family, and is a cultivar of the same plant (wild cabbage) that gives us cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and brussel sprouts. Though kohlrabi kind of looks like the bulb of a plant, it’s actually the stem. I have enjoyed getting to know this vegetable since working at Uprooted and I’m excited to share it in this week’s bag.
The small share this week has:
Kohlrabi – Taproot Farms, certified organic
Onions – Sawlers Garden, conventionally-grown
Green Cabbage – Noggins Corner Farm, conventionally grown
Red Beets – Elmridge Farm, spray-free
Super Sweet Carrots – Elmridge Farm, spray-free
Delicata Squash – Taproot Farms, certified organic
Gala Apples – Noggins Corner Farm, conventionally-grown
The large has everything above, as well as:
Pears – Noggins Corner Farm, conventionally-grown
Pea Shoots – Taproot Farms, certified organic
I’ve been doing some kohlrabi testing to find the best way to eat this winter offering. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked, and is commonly found in summer salad recipes or cole-slaw. By the time Kohlrabi is ready for the winter produce season they are much larger than their spring counterparts and are well suited for cooking. You can peel your kohlrabi, slice it into thin quarters, and throw it into a stir-fry, curry, or soup, much like you would broccoli or cabbage. I found the delicate, sweet, broccoli stem-like flavour really shines when it’s roasted. However, I recommend you try kohlrabi both ways to really get a taste for what this vegetable has to offer.
Kohlrabi, Two Ways
Method 1: Simple Kohlrabi Salad
Ingredients:
Kohlrabi
Kale
Dried Cranberries
Slivered Almonds
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinaigrette or dressing of choice
Goat cheese (optional)
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough outer skin of the kohlrabi and trim the ends off. Slice into matchsticks.
- Prepare the kale: wash, de-stem, and rip the leaves into bite size pieces. Place the kale in a salad bowl and pour a little bit of olive oil on top. Massage the kale leaves until they soften.
- Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl with your favourite dressing. I used a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette so that the fresh kohlrabi flavour really comes through. Top with some Ran-Cher Acres goat cheese crumbles if desired.
I was surprised how good the kohlrabi is raw! It’s surprisingly juicy for a tough looking vegetable and has a really pleasant crunch similar to an apple.
Method 2: Roasted Kohlrabi
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Peel the outer skin and trim off the ends. Slice the kohlrabi into ¼ inch slices, then into half or quarter circles (see photo).
- Place the sliced kohlrabi on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until easily fork tender and browning. I flipped my slices at the 20 minute mark and cooked them for 5 minutes more, but flipping them probably wasn’t necessary.
Enjoy the roasted kohlrabi as a side to your favourite protein like Snowy River pork chops, Afishionado breaded haddock filets, or marinated Acadiana tofu. I was amazed by how sweet and delicious the kohlrabi turned out even when prepared so simply! For a strange, unassuming looking veggie it packs a lot of punch.
Kohlrabi aside, there are other great offerings in this week’s produce too. I’ve been loving beet horseradish as a side to everything since I was given a jar at christmas. It’s the perfect addition to sausage and potatoes, fried eggs and toast, or it instantly livens up a random plate of leftovers. I haven’t made it yet myself but when I run out I’m going to have to and this recipe was recommended: https://www.thesophisticatedcaveman.com/beet-horseradish/ As fresh horseradish can be hard to find, store bought from a jar can be substituted to taste as well.
I hope folks aren’t getting sick of squash. Delicata is one of my favourite varieties as you can eat the skin, the flesh is so creamy, and it looks so pretty sliced into rounds, to me it never gets old! But if you’re bored with your go to roast squash, try this recipe with maple and thyme: https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/recipes/339/maple-roasted-delicata-squash I typically cut the maple syrup down to 1 teaspoon as I find a tablespoon to overpowering for the squashes natural sweetness.
Last for this week we have another place to use your cabbage – in ramen! If ramen isn’t already in your repertoire, it’s a rich brothy soup, with long noodles, and lots of veggies. Here is a simple ramen recipe: https://pinchofyum.com/quick-homemade-ramen#tasty-recipes-39793-jump-target It calls for dried mushrooms but fresh mushrooms work great here too. For an extra flavourful broth you could use Snowy River bone broth, and add cubed Acadiana extra-firm tofu for protein. Ramen vegetables can easily be tailored to what you have on hand as long as you keep the needed cooking time similar. For this recipe, thinly sliced cabbage would cook well with the carrots and kale. Once you get the hang of making ramen you’ll find it’s incredibly versatile and will quickly become your go to meal when you need something extra comforting.
Thank you for being here! We truly look forward to packing up and handing out your produce bags every week. Please let us know what you think of the kohlrabi or what your favourite cooking method/recipe is!
Until next week,
Robin
