Sides, Uncategorized
by madeline2020

Kohlrabi. A CSA Share discovery and now a favorite

It all started with a CSA

A few years back my wife and I subscribed to a CSA. We actually shared it with a co-worker because the 16-week plan we wanted was kind of pricy. In the grand scheme not so much, but we started with Spring and other than greens there wasn’t much coming in. That is until we received a giant kohlrabi! I’d never seen one before. I don’t think I’d ever tasted one. And we decided to be adventurous, cube it, and put it into soup. It was definitely something with a flavor we enjoyed. Good texture, but not something we saw often in the store.

Kohlrabi, our trusted friend

Flash ahead a few years, and especially this year when fresh vegetables are hard to find, during one of our rare sojourns to the grocery store, we suddenly see little bundles of kohlrabi for sale! 4 good sized kohlrabi for a few dollars.

“KOHLRABI!!!” we both say, and I promptly pop a bunch into a bag and start wondering what else I can do with them beyond shaving into salads or cooking in a soup.

Can they be mashed? Nah, that would be like mashed broccoli stems. Can I pickle them? Maybe….

Getting creative with Kohlrabi

But I decided to get even more creative. I did a bit of research and came up with this recipe. It is AMAZING and somewhat healthy, but it tastes decadent! Promise.

Kohlrabi in Citrus and Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 3 mid-size kohlrabi peeled completely and cut into slices
  • 1 ½ cups of fat-free half and half
  • 2 tsp dried Valencia orange peels
  • 1 TB lemon juice (I used the kind in the plastic lemon, can’t lie!)
  • Himalayan pink sea salt and ground mixed pepper to taste
  • 1 TB white sugar

1 TB dried basil (although I think that fresh basil chiffonade would be tasty!)

Instructions:

  1. In a medium-sized pan (with a cover) bring the half and half to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and add the kohlrabi. Cover and allow to simmer (keep an eye on it to avoid boiling over) until the kohlrabi is soft. Mine took about 20 minutes give or take.
  2. Make certain you have peeled the kohlrabi well. I didn’t and the little bits of leftover peel became very sharp during cooking.
  3. Once they’ve cooked through, remove the pieces from the half and half with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a covered bowl.
  4. Increase the heat under the half and half, add in the orange peel and cook until the sauce has thickened a bit. 5 – 7 minutes.
  5. Stir in the lemon juice, pepper, salt, sugar, and basil and remove from the heat.
  6. Add the kohlrabi slices to the pot and stir till combined.

Serve!

Depending on the size of your kohlrabi this makes up to 4 servings or more. Great served with baked salmon, or other fish, or chicken.

This recipe was a happy invention when I found a recipe for which I had none of the ingredients EXCEPT kohlrabi! Feel free to share your kohlrabi recipes in the comments. I’d love to try them.

Looking for more vegetable recipes?