Do you remember the first time? And by that oh poisoned minded readers, I mean the first time you ate a particular foodstuff. Yesterday, the alien-like kohlrabi appeared in our weekly veg box. And it brought back good memories.My first experience with the kohlrabi was only a few years back. In a farmer's market in Leeds, there sat a full tray of the deliciously mild green tentacle covered kohlrabi. This vegetable could be the thing of nightmares to previously vegetable fearing people such as Freddie over at GBVC. It certainly looked odd, like nothing I had seen before. And I couldn't believe I had access to a vegetable I had never tasted before.
If you have never had kohlrabi, please seek them out. They taste incredibly earthy, like a mild turnip with a slight bitterness. It quickly became our weaning baby's favourite food as we steamed it and turned it into a puree. For the adults, I stirred in a few herbs, a little butter and perhaps some mustard for an alternative side vegetable for the Sunday roast. Hard to believe that historically it used to be cattle fodder.
I turned yesterday's welcome addition into a remoulade, which is basically the French word for a condiment. We ate it with left over roast chicken, cheese and salad leaves. And it remains ever so fondly as one of my favourite vegetables. Do you remember the first time?
Kohlrabi Remoulade
1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced into lengths
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp English or Dijon mustard
1 tbsp onion seeds (optional)
A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Fresh yoghurt
Salt and pepper
1 - Using a fine grater, grate the kohlrabi into a tea towel. It contains a lot of water, so roll up the tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Tip into a mixing bowl.
2 - Stir in half of the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, onion seeds and parsley. Stir thoroughly then gradually stir in the yoghurt until you have a thick but not swamped kohlrabi condiment.
3 - Taste for seasoning and squeeze in more lemon juice depending on how sharp you like it.
13 comments:
How dare you suggest that my mind works in such a way David ;) Oh, ok then.... I am a MASSIVE kohlrabi fan and I think that raw is without doubt the best way to eat it. I love that crunch!! I've never thought of using it for a remoulade but I can see that it would work perfectly. Helen x
You know I have never had kohlrabi. I have seen it all over the food blogosphere, but I don't believe I have seen one in the grocery or the farmers market - but if I ever see one, I am so there. This looks delicious!
Haven't had kohlrabi yet (so no first time), but maybe the first time is coming soon because of your recipe. I've seen kohlrabi around but have never bought it because I don't know what to do with it. A remoulade sounds fantastic.
I've never had kohlrabi before either, but I'll certainly seek it out - I've been meaning to try remoulade for a while now.
Kohlrabi is a new one on me, too, but if I ever come across any I'll give this a try.
I am a "newbie" to kohlrabi too David. This would be a great introduction to this veg:D
Oh, yes, my first time was three years at an LA farmers' market. I was pleasantly surprised by it's crisp texture and earthly flavor. I'm pretty boring with it though; I used it almost exclusively in salads. Your recipes sounds much more exciting.
I am a kohlrabi virgin. Love how weird they look though. And love this recipe. :)
I remember the first time for all sorts of foods - but they don't involve kohlrabi! Only had one ever in my possession, and it got thrown out because it languished in a forgotten part of the fridge... Will try harder next time!
hi mate - must confess i've never eaten kohlrabi, but always been fascinated by the way it looks. Will def give it a try. Updated my blog finally!
So glad you posted your kohlrabi recipe. Here's another highly underappreciated vegetable. It's a brassica that looks like Sputnik but tastes like tender broccoli stems. I have several plants growing in the garden with their big, silvery leaves. We've very anxious for the harvest.
Another great recipe David - just tried this tonight with the kohlrabi from our veggie box and it was sublime. Thank you.
Great stuff Gary! Happy that you like it. Cheers, Dave
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