Eating Local: Kohlrabi, Part 2

In our recent drive to eat produce all farmed locally, we've made some scrumptious zucchini and basil pasta as well as zucchini fritters and a creamy kohlrabi. If you aren't familiar with kohlrabi, be sure to go back and check out that previous post, as it explains how this non-traditional little vegetable is used and what sort of taste and texture you'll be getting.

Today we use the kohlrabi again in two very different ways - first in a delicious and quick one pot meal, and second as a side slaw to accompany flame grilled hot dogs!

For our first meal, we're actually just using the kohlrabi leaves, not the bulb at all. They are much more firm than typical greens like lettuce or spinach, and won't wilt while being cooked, so they retain a great texture and offer a slightly salty flavor after being heated.

To get this simple meal going, just put your meat in the bottom of the pan (depending on which meat you choose, you may need to brown on the skillet first) and then roughly chop up and throw in whatever vegetables you've got around - we used onion, baby carrots, zucchini, and kohlrabi leaves. Potatoes, bell peppers, and anything else also go great in these. Top with whatever seasonings you typically enjoy - salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings are a great starting point.

To keep things moist and add in some extra flavor we pour in a can of Campbell's garlic recipe starter - but any sauce you like like would work here, like cream of mushroom soup, an alfredo with extra garlic added in, or anything else you've got on hand that's a little creamy.

We happened to have boneless country style pork ribs in the freezer needing to be used, which offered a very hearty meat component, but honestly any meat would work here - chicken thighs, chicken leg quarters, diced pork or beef stew meat, and so on. Cook in the oven at 375 - 400 degrees about an hour and then serve over some cooked rice for a fast, tasty, and filling dinner.

Now on to something that gets to the heart (or bulb) of the matter. Because the bulb has the texture of a radish but is less biting or "spicy' than that particular vegetable, Kohlrabi is equally good paired in less savory dishes or even in dishes with fruit.

Here we're going to make a very quick and simple "slaw" by just cutting up matchsticks of apples and kohlrabi (be sure to peel off the outer layer on the kohlrabi first).

You'll want to cut the matchsticks pretty thin, as you don't want a crazy crunch here, just a subtle mixing of apple and vegetable.

Toss in some olive oil and the juice of a fresh squeezed lemon and then season with salt and pepper and you're good to go.

This is a very basic, fresh slaw, but if you have a preferred creamy slaw recipes you like to use - have at it! Here we're serving our slaw with some grilled hot dogs as a healthier side.