This summer I am featuring some of my favorite garden produce recipes. For the entire list, see the Recipes page or click on the recipes label.
It sounds kind of funny, but I actually have very fond memories of kohlrabi from my childhood. I say it sounds funny because I can't imagine myself saying that about carrots or peas or even my one true garden love, tomatoes, and yet it comes out so easily when it comes to kohlrabi. Maybe it's because it's such a funny vegetable in the first place? Or maybe it's because I have such a strong association between kohlrabi and summertime?
I suppose it now goes without saying that my mom's vegetable garden always included the cabbage turnip (I think that's how it sort of translates from German). I clearly remember helping wash up the little sputnik-like orbs when they came in from the garden, and how the veggie bowl that was on the table at every meal always included kohlrabi slices and wedges during the summer. I would always seek out the slices from the very top of the bulb (they were always the most tender pieces). And if they were wedges, they had to be eaten from the bottom up, saving that best bite for last.
So of course when I expanded my garden this year, I had to try to fit a row of kohlrabi in somewhere. I've been enjoying bringing these little guys out of the garden throughout the summer. Like we did growing up, I've mainly been cutting them up and eating them just as they are, but last week I found myself with a head of cabbage, giving me the perfect excuse to make this coleslaw. I'll be honest, I was a little concerned that I would be eating this all myself, not because Mike doesn't like coleslaw (quite the opposite, actually), but because he is very particular about his coleslaw dressing (and I do have to agree with him on this one - there are some really gross coleslaw dressings on the grocery store shelves). Luckily, it got two thumbs up from him, and if that's not an endorsement for a vegetable dish, I don't know what is.
Kohlrabi Coleslaw
3/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
9 cups chopped or shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded kohlrabi
Wisk together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and set aside. Run cabbage through food processor (or chop/slice by hand) to finely shredded and put into a very large bowl. Similarly, peel and shred carrots and kohlrabi with food processor and add to cabbage. Pour dressing over vegetables and fold with a rubber scraper until cabbage, carrots and kohlrabi are well mixed and dressing is completely incorporated.
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Garden Fresh Meals CookbookLabels: cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, recipes
