Purple Kohlrabi

We grew our own kohlrabi this year - first time ever. I grew it from a six-pack of little plants I set out earlier in the winter.

I love purple kohlrabi from the farmers' market. It's one of those plants where you get two vegetables in one - the greens are delicious sautéed in garlic and olive oil, and the root is great steamed or boiled and served as you would turnips.

The one essential is to make sure to peel off all the heavy fibrous skin of the bulbous part before cooking it. Otherwise you get mouthfuls of tough string.

This kohlrabi I pulled from my garden, however, was a revelation. As you can see, the bulbous part grows above the soil - you can see the small clump of roots below it still with some dirt on it.

When I started peeling off the purple skin, expecting lots of stringy fibers under it, I found instead crisp juicy flesh, similar to jicama. I don't know why it's so tender, but we're enjoying it. I peeled it and cut off any tough-looking parts. Then I chopped it in large pieces and steamed it until it was tender - under 10 minutes - and then tossed it in garlic butter for a yummy side dish.

I saved the greens and combined them with other greens later in the week in a simple sautéed greens dish.

It was another reminder that home-grown food really does taste best, and not just because of the satisfaction of helping nature create something beautiful.

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

This was our Thanksgiving day menu:

Halftime appetizer:
Pumpkin empanadas with cilantro-mint dipping sauce

Dinner:
Honey-baked ham (for Larry and Trace)
Homemade bread with honey butter
Green bean and mushroom casserole
Baked kabocha squash
Spicy brown rice with mushrooms and chipotles
Kohlrabi greens and roots with garlic
Beets with mint
Salad with persimmons and pomegranate seeds

Dessert:
Lemon pudding cake with cranberry syrup

Fabulous Grains

I regularly freeze leftover cooked grains. They are simple to defrost and use in casseroles or other mixed dishes.

The other day I made an excellent dish with defrosted wheat berries and red quinoa, leftover tomato sauce, and a sprinkling of grated cheddar.

I told Larry what it was while it was cooking, so he wouldn't be hoping for lasagna - the aromas are similar. We both enjoyed it, and found the flavors even better the next day as reheated leftovers.

I spread about 3 cups of the leftover grain in the bottom of a casserole dish, so it was about 2 inches deep. I could have used leftover brown rice or millet, or any grain I had on hand. Then I spread my zesty tomato sauce over top, about 1/4 inch or so, and then a sprinkling of grated cheddar. I put the lid on the casserole, and baked it at 350°F for about 40 minutes until it was heated through and the flavors were melded.

In the meantime, I cooked up a batch of kohlrabi greens. I sautéed half an onion and a clove of garlic in a little olive oil. I washed the greens and chopped them coarsely, stems and all. I tossed them in the pot, stirred in a sprinkle of salt and pepper and red chile flakes, and put the lid on. I stirred every five minutes or so, making sure they didn't stick on the bottom. The greens cooked down to a delicious spicy pottage.

The greens and grains combined to make a healthy and delicious dinner, perfect for a cool winter evening.

Baby Kohlrabi

I was planning braised turnips for Christmas lunch, but when I walked past the South Central Farmers Cooperative stall at the Hollywood Farmers Market on Christmas Eve I saw baby kohlrabis. How could I resist?

Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family, and has edible greens and a delicious bulbous stem that grows above ground, looking like quite the alien plant.

Usually at the market the stalks and greens are 18-inches long or so. But the ones I saw Saturday were about nine inches from bulb to leaf top.

I snagged a bunch, and then pondered how to best showcase them on the Christmas lunch table. I decided to cook the greens as wilted greens, and then toss the cooked stems in garlic butter and serve them on top of the greens.

Best dish of the day!

Baby Kohlrabi
1 bunch baby kohlrabi
2 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper, chile flakes
1/2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic

Wash the leaves and narrow stems of the kohlrabi. Chop them into 2" pieces and put them (with water still clinging to their leaves) in a pan where the olive oil is warming over medium-low heat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a few dried chile flakes. Toss well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or so until they are tender, stirring occasionally.

Peel the kohlrabi bulbs so no tough fibers remain. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and cook them briefly in boiling water until they are tender. Warm the butter and garlic in a sauté pan, and toss the kohlrabi in it until well coated.

Put the warm greens on a serving dish and pour the bulbs and garlic butter over top.

Serves 3-4.

Emptying the fridge

Last week our fridge was bulging at the seams.

I figured that most of it was Thanksgiving food, and that after Thursday, things would calm down.

Not so.

It seems I was a little over-inspired at the farmers market, and we had a plentitude of kohlrabi, rutabagas, parsnips and greens.

I was leaving for a week with my mum, and knew that Larry would eat bachelor food while I was away. So I did my best to empty the fridge.

I roasted the parsnips and cooked the kohlrabi to eat with Thanksgiving leftovers.

I cooked the greens from the kohlrabi with lacinato and red kales. I froze some, and we ate the rest for dinner with potato cakes made from leftover mashed potatoes. (Is there anything better than mashed potatoes patted into cakes and lightly browned in a little olive oil?)

The lettuce was washed and wrapped in paper towels for Larry to make into salads. (Or feed to the compost heap.)

Finally, I found three bunches of cilantro. I picked out the freshest leaves and found I had enough to make a double-batch of this spicy cilantro pesto, which I stashed in the freezer. I'll serve it as a dip with raw vegetables, toss it with pasta, or drizzle it over vegetables and rice.

The recipe comes from A Celebration of Herbs, a lovely book published by the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena, and given to me by my friends Lisa and Sally. It has old botanical prints from the library and modern recipes inspired by the Huntington herb garden and the diverse cultures of southern California. It would make a nice gift for any cook on your list.

There is more space in the fridge now, and I feel good knowing that my freezer is well-stocked for when I return.

Spicy Cliantro Pesto
2 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 heads (yes heads, not cloves) of garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried crushed red chiles
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup olive oil

Put all but the olive oil in the food processor. Whir until minced. With the machine running, gradually pour the oil through the feed tube. Blend smooth. Season to taste. Refrigerate for 1 week, or freeze for 1 month.

Update: I defrosted this pesto for supper on Christmas Eve. I tossed it with hot rotini and halved grape tomatoes, and served parmesan on the side. It was spicy and garlicky and delicious, although the saltiness had increased in the freezer. If I make it to freeze again, I will cut the salt by half. Also, I think it would be a little intense as a dip.

Nibbles

Larry and I like to spend Sunday evenings by the fire with the weekend papers.

It's nice to have something to nibble on while reading. Sometimes it's cheese and crackers, or Larry's fresh-popped popcorn.

Recently I served a plate of fresh spring vegetables alongside some tangy goat's milk feta. I really liked it. Larry found it a little challenging.

The vegetables were a medley of green and white. Radish-sized turnips with their spicy tender greens attached, leftover diced and cooked kohlrabi, slivers of sweet fennel, and shelled young fava beans.

The salty richness of the feta was a great foil for the spicy, sweet and pungent flavors of the vegetables.

I like food that activates my tastebuds and offers diversity in each mouthful. This appetizer plate fits the bill.

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.