Kohlrabi

Don't let this vegetable's weird, alien-like appearance intimidate you! Part bulb, part greens, Kohlrabi is like a cross between a radish, jicama, broccoli, and collard greens. It can be eaten raw or cooked and both the stem and leaves are also edible. 

Also called German turnip, kohlrabi is a biennial vegetable commonly eaten in German-speaking countries and American states with large ancestral German populations such as Michigan and Minnesota. 

Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family, and as such, comes with this family’s signature sweet-but-peppery flavor profile. The skin has the rubbery texture of broccoli stems and can be white, light green, or bright purple. The insides are usually a creamy white.

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Storage & Preparation

Cut off the leaves, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and place in a plastic bag. The leaves can be refrigerated for three to four days. Store the kohlrabi head in your refrigerator's vegetable drawer for a week or more. 
Tips on how to cut it up:

1. ​After you remove the leaves and stems, slice in half: Cut the kohlrabi head in half down through its center.
2. Slice into quarters: Place the halved kohlrabi cut side down and slice into quarters.
3. Cut out the core: Use the tip of your knife to cut at an angle through the core. Discard the tough center.
4. Peel the kohlrabi: Now that you have small, manageable quarters, use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the tough skin. If the skin feels particularly thick and rubbery, you can peel it, but otherwise, you can leave the skin on.

The kohlrabi bulb can then be sliced into thick or thin rounds, cubes or into match sticks to use in recipes or eaten raw as a snack. 

Cooking Ideas

• Slice paper-thin and drizzle with good olive oil and sea salt. Serve it as an appetizer or side salad. 
• Serve thin slices artichoke-style with a remoulade or garlic-butter sauce for dipping.
• Raw matchsticks of kohlrabi make a great addition to salads or slaws.
• Roast cubes or wedges in the oven. The kohlrabi turns sweet and a bit caramelized in the high heat of the oven, making a great side dish for steak, grilled fish, or almost any main course dinner.
• Stir fry bite-sized pieces, add them to soups, or steam them.
• Kohlrabi is ready to eat when it is tender. Sprinkle with salt, olive oil, and lemon juice for a simple presentation.

Source: thekitchn.com

Recipes

Kohlrabi Chips
Ingredients

• Very thinly sliced, unpeeled kohlrabi
  
• Olive oil
  
• Coarse salt

Directions

1. Toss kohlrabi with olive oil. Season with salt.
   
2. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick mat or parchment paper.
   
3. Bake at 250 degrees, rotating sheet, until crisp and deep golden, 35 minutes to 1 hour.; transfer chips as they're done to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with salt.

Kohlrabi Slaw

• Kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks
  
• Apple, cut into matchsticks
  
• Olive oil
  
• Fresh lemon juice
  
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Mix kohlrabi and apple matchsticks (both peeled or not) with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
   
2. Season with salt and pepper.