Kohlrabi Salad with Basil Dressing

[underused]

Have you tried kohlrabi yet? Because you really should.

Growing up, kohlrabi was a staple of our summer garden. It didn't take me long to realise most people I knew had no clue what it was. But in recent years, I've seen it appearing in more grocery aisles (and it's an easy vegetable to grow), so I thought it was worth a post.

Also known as a German turnip, this tasty vegetable crosses the mild flavour of broccoli stems with a texture somewhere between an apple and a beet. To prepare, peel it as you would an apple; you'll notice when you've reached the tender interior (see photo below).

Once peeled it's easy to cut and serve raw with crudités. Boiling or steaming intensifies the flavour without making it mushy. By far, though, my favourite way to eat kohlrabi is as a simple grated salad. Its texture holds up well, making it an ideal choice for preparing ahead of time or eating as leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

2 kohlrabi

1 c loosely-packed fresh basil leaves (approx 25 g)
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c pickle brine (or sub with a slightly lesser amount of apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp sugar)
2 tbsp vegenaise (or mayo)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and grate your kohlrabi into a bowl and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the rest of the ingredients and blend to a smooth consistency.

Dress your salad according to how much dressing you'd like. The amount here is probably a bit too much (unless you're my brother).

SOME QUICK NOTES: I like using pickle brine because it has a bit more flavour than vinegar (and if you eat pickles, there's always some around). I use Vegenaise in place of mayo to keep the flavour light, and if you're serving at a bbq, it's okay if it sits out for a while.

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

Don't forget the leaves, if they're included--although I've never specifically had kohlrabi with the leaves, most crucifer leaves can be steamed, braised, or shredded raw much as you would kale or collards.

(The fact that we're on the subject of cruciferous greens affords a suitable cue to pass along a safety tip: raw mustard greens possess something of the sulfurous spiciness of the seeds and blossoms--a reminder of their botanical relationship to radishes, horseradish, and wasabi. Unless they're very young and mild or your stomach is made of far sterner stuff than mine, mustard greens aren't a great choice for raw salad*. I recently made that mistake; the chemical burn slowly accumulated, with the result that about halfway through supper, I found myself reflecting, "You know, they used to make chemical weapons of mass destruction out of this stuff.")

*Turnip greens are another story altogether, being not only mild but almost as tender as spinach; they feature with chickpeas, spinach, and raisins in this recipe from Inn at the Crossroads, a Game of Thrones-themed fanfood blog: http://www.innatthecrossroads.com/ready-salad-in-castle-black/

[underused]

Egad. No raw mustard greens--check.

I didn't know about kohlrabi greens until today when I was getting ready to post. I guess my mom wasn't big on eating that stuff (we never had beet greens either, as far as I know). It's all very interesting. I have definitely never heard the word "cruciferous." It's fantastic.

This also reminds me I have a bunch of horseradish growing. Any interesting ideas on what to do with it (other than the usual horseradish-and-vinegar)?

[full_metal_ox]

I have never before heard the word cruciferous". It's fantastic.

Looks as though you've got a potential Word of the Day, then.

[underused]

Definitely.

[full_metal_ox]

This also reminds me I have a bunch of horseradish growing. Any interesting ideas on what to do with it (other than the usual horseradish-and-vinegar)?

Horseradish isn't a usual part of my diet, but I suppose you could grate it fine as a wasabi substitute--unless you live in an area serviced by a handful of specialty farms on North America's Pacific coast, any wasabi you've had in Canada or the U.S. is likely to have been horseradish anyway--the genuine stuff grows under extremely specific conditions and is highly perishable.

[underused]

That's more or less the horseradish and vinegar paste I'd normally make (which we love). But I'd like to experiment more with how I use it--and maybe try to use it more often. Horseradish really isn't part of my usual diet either, but we have a lovely big patch of it growing and I don't take advantage of it like I should.

Maybe I'll make it my new project for fall cooking.