Garlic-Buttered Kohlrabi

If you want to get your family to try a new vegetable, one you're not sure they'll like, toss it in garlic butter.

The smell will whet their appetite, and the flavor will be so good they'll ask for second helpings.

I learned this when I was experimenting with kohlrabi. Tossing it in garlic butter made it a nice addition to a meal, rather than a weird vegetable to be pushed around the plate.

I have become infatuated with kohlrabi this winter. The South Central Farmers Cooperative have the most beautiful purple kohlrabi at their stand -- how could I resist?

The name kohlrabi comes from the German words kohl for cabbage and rube for turnip, and it has all the health-promoting qualities of the cabbage family, plus a fresh taste with a hint of cabbage and turnip.

After much trial and error, I learned that the secret to good kohlrabi is to peel it well. Cookbooks say peel it, but they don't say peel off almost a quarter inch, making sure you get rid of all the tough fibers in the outer layers. Those tough fibers make eating kohlrabi distinctly unpalatable. (I don't feel bad about the trimmings because they feed the compost pile.)

The kohlrabi from SCFC comes with greens attached, so I cut them off when I get home and store them separately. They are a great addition to wilted greens.

To prepare the roots for cooking, I cut the tops and bottoms off with a big sharp knife. I then stand them up on end and shave off the sides with a paring knife. When I think I've carved off enough, I trim a piece and eat it. If there are any strings, I keep trimming. Raw kohlrabi makes a good addition to salads or a crudité plate.

Once all the fiber is gone, I cut it into bite-sized wedges and cook it in a half-inch of boiling water until tender. This takes a while -- up to 30 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. When the crunch is gone but it still has a toothsome texture, I drain it and set it aside until the last minute before dinner, when I melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan over low heat. I crush a peeled clove of garlic with 1/4 tsp salt and toss it in the butter, cooking over low heat for a minute or two without letting the garlic brown. I toss the kohlrabi with the butter until it's warmed through.

You could use this same technique with Brussels sprouts, turnips, green beans, snap peas -- anything your family is dubious about. Garlic butter makes everything better.