Kohlrabi & Celtuce: They’re unique, but don’t let them intimidate you!

By Chef Andrea

This week we have two interesting vegetables to share with you—Kohlrabi and Celtuce!  While these two vegetables are not related, they actually share some similarities so it’s fitting to feature them together.  Lets start with kohlrabi first.

Kohlrabi growing in the field

I had the opportunity to talk with quite a few prospective CSA members at different events last winter.  While many were totally new to the concept of CSA, there were also individuals who had been with other farms and were familiar with CSA, vegetables, etc.  As we talked, there seemed to be a comment that kept circulating through my conversations.  More than once I heard people express exhaustion with the amount of kohlrabi they had received in their CSA shares and the fact that they really didn’t know what to do with it.  They were both overwhelmed and underwhelmed by it at the same time!  So I set out on a mission this year to help our members learn more about kohlrabi and the many, many ways you might enjoy it!  It’s often referred to as “an alien vegetable” because of its “out of this world” appearance.  Yes, it’s a little different than any other vegetable we grow, but it really bears a lot of resemblance to other vegetables.  So lets set the intimidation factor aside.  Whether this is the first time you’ve tried kohlrabi or not, you have no reason to worry!  Stick with me and I’ll help you navigate this vegetable as you learn to appreciate it!

The name for kohlrabi is derived from “khol” meaning stem or cabbage and “rabi” meaning turnip.  While it is in the brassica family and somewhat resembles a turnip, it grows differently than all other vegetables in this group.  As with other vegetables in this family, kohlrabi is rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber and B vitamins.

Kohlrabi coming in from Harvest

One of the characteristics I appreciate about kohlrabi is that most of the plant is edible.  The bulb is the part of the plant most commonly eaten, but the leaves are also edible and should not be overlooked.  The leaves have a thicker texture more similar to kale or collard greens.  They are best eaten cooked and can be substituted for collard greens or kale in many recipes.  I usually strip the leaves off the main stems because they are often tough.  The bulb does need to be peeled before eating as the outer skin is fairly tough.  I find it easiest to cut the bulb in half or quarters and then peel the skin away like you’re peeling an apple.  Once the skin is peeled away you’ll find a solid, crispy, juicy, tender flesh inside with a sweet, mild cabbage flavor.  To store kohlrabi, cut the stems and leaves off.  Store both leaves and the bulbs in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  The leaves will keep for about 1 week, and the bulbs will last up to several weeks if stored properly.

BLK Sandwiches
Photo from DishingUpTheDirt.com

Kohlrabi is delicious eaten both raw and cooked.  The simplest way to eat it is to peel the bulb and munch on slices plain or with just a touch of salt, a little lime juice and some chili powder.  It can also be shredded and used in slaws with a variety of dressings or sliced and added to sandwiches or salads.  Don’t limit yourself to only eating this as a raw vegetable though.  It is also delicious when lightly sautéed, stir-fried, braised, roasted, grilled and baked. Over the years we’ve featured a variety of kohlrabi recipes in our newsletters, which are archived on our website.  If you ask Farmer Richard what his favorite way to eat kohlrabi is, I guarantee he’ll always say “Creamy Kohlrabi Slaw!”  If you search the recipe database on our website, you’ll find several different slaw recipes including Kohlrabi Slaw with Coconut & Cilantro and Kohlrabi with Creamy Cole Slaw Dressing.  One of my favorite raw kohlrabi recipes is Kohlrabi & Chickpea Salad, which comes from the Dishing Up the Dirt cookbook by Andrea Bemis.  You’ll also find her recipe for BLK sandwiches (Bacon, Lettuce & Kohlrabi) as well as other kohlrabi-centric recipes on her blog.  Kohlrabi is one of her favorite vegetables so you’ll find quite a collection at dishingupthedirt.com!

Kohlrabi is quite delicious when cooked.  You can use both the leaves and bulb in stir-fry or just simply sauté them in butter.  The bulb is also excellent roasted.  Just toss it with oil, salt and pepper and roast it in the oven until the pieces start to get golden brown on the outside.  Because it is higher in moisture it will never get as dry as potatoes do when you roast them.  Rather, roasted kohlrabi is tender and succulent.  I like to use diced kohlrabi and onions as a vegetable base under roast chicken.  As the chicken cooks, the vegetables absorb the juices from the chicken while roasting.

Kohlrabi Curry

Kohlrabi is used more extensively in European countries as well as in Chinese and Indian cuisine.  I found quite a few Indian recipes that included kohlrabi.  I’m not very familiar with Indian cuisine, so some of the ingredients in the recipes were foreign to me.  The Kohlrabi Curry recipe we’re featuring this week touches on some of those flavors used in Indian cooking, but it’s manageable for home cooks like myself!  If anyone in the CSA is familiar with using kohlrabi in Indian food, I’d love to learn more about this cuisine!

While kohlrabi is delicious just eaten simply with salt, I hope you can see that there are actually many ways you can enjoy kohlrabi and use the entire plant to get the most out of your investment!

Celtuce in the Field

Lets move onto Celtuce, another interesting and unusual vegetable that, like kohlrabi, is also a stem vegetable.  It is thought to have originated in southern China and is also known as “Lettuce Stem.”  While it is relatively well-known in China, you seldom see it in the United States, but it can be found in some Asian grocery stores.  Botanically, it is a member of the lettuce family.  The plant grows similarly to lettuce and the leaves resemble lettuce leaves.  While you can eat the leaves, the main feature of this plant is the long, thick stem.  The lower leaves are usually trimmed away as they can sometimes become bitter as the plant matures.  The upper leaves are usually left intact and are tender and generally less bitter if at all.  Once the leaves are trimmed away, the thick, white stem is revealed. It is not uncommon to see brown leaf scars or cracks on the bottom of the stem.  These are usually peeled away when the skin is removed anyway, so don’t worry about it if you see these.   Celtuce is referred to as who sun in Chinese, but the term “celtuce” is the American name given to this vegetable when it was introduced to this continent by the Burpee Seed Company.  It was named such because of its stalk like resemblance to celery coupled with its lettuce-like qualities.  I actually think the stem on celtuce bears more resemblance to broccoli and personally, I would’ve named this vegetable Broctuce!

Trimmed Celtuce

Celtuce may be eaten raw or cooked.  It has a unique flavor that is really unlike any other vegetable.  As much as I dislike using the term “nutty” to describe a vegetable, that really is the first word that comes to mind when I think about the flavor.  It also has a kind of smoky like characteristic to its flavor profile and if you smell the base of the stem, you’ll find it has a unique scent.  Celtuce does sometimes have some bitter components to it, depending on the stage of growth.  I’ve found that the lower, larger leaves generally have more bitterness compared to the smaller, less mature leaves on the top of the plant.  When you are preparing celtuce, the first step is to trim away the leaves from the stem.  Save these and use them raw in a salad (if you like bitter greens).  If you find them too bitter for your liking and/or don’t care for them raw, try cooking them.  You can either blanch them in boiling water or just simply saute them.  If you’re familiar with escarole, you can treat celtuce greens similarly.  Their flavor mellows and changes a bit with cooking making them more delectable.  A little splash of vinegar at the end of cooking also helps mellow the bitterness and bring all the flavor components together.

Peeling the outer portion of the Celtuce Stem

As for the stem portion, you need to peel away the outer skin on the stem.  Inside you’ll find a light green, translucent vegetable flesh that is crispy and juicy, similar to kohlrabi!  Be sure to trim away all of the outer white skin as that is the portion of the plant that seems to be most bitter.  I’ve also noticed that sometimes the stem has some white streaking on the lower portion of the stalk that can sometimes be more bitter.  Just trim the outermost portion of this away.

Celtuce has the strongest flavor when eaten raw.  Whether raw or cooked, it’s always juicy and cooks pretty quickly.  If you do not care for bitter vegetables, I’d encourage you to focus on more simple, cooked preparations.  If you do like bitter greens, etc, then try using celtuce in a salad or slaw for the strongest flavor effect.  It may be julienned or sliced thinly and eaten in a fresh, raw salad.  In China it’s often pickled.  As a cooked vegetable, you can sauté it, use it in a stir-fry or use it in soups.  Some cooks also like to steam it or gently braise it in a flavorful liquid. When considering how to use it, think about how you might use other vegetables with similar characteristics and texture such as cucumber, jicama and kohlrabi—although the tastes are different, in many recipes you could substitute these vegetables for another.

Pickled Celtuce Salad with Ginger & Sesame

Celtuce does pair well with other spring vegetables such as the baby white turnips, sugar snap peas, greens, scallions and garlic scapes.  It pairs well with ingredients of Asian descent such as soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, etc.  It can also play well with milk, cream, Parmesan, lemon, lime and fresh herbs such as parsley and dill.  To complement the nutty flavors of celtuce, pair it with sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, almonds and other nuts of your choosing.  Last year we featured recipes for Fried Rice with Chicken & Celtuce as well as a Pickled Celtuce Salad with Ginger & Sesame.  Store celtuce in the refrigerator, wrapped loosely in plastic or a damp towel.

You may be thinking “Andrea, where are the recipes?!”  This year we have two newsletters.  Since we wanted to expand our vegetable features about these two vegetables, this article is this week’s “Main Newsletter Article.”  The recipes are included in our second newsletter which we call the “What’s In the Box Newsletter.”  Make sure you check out both newsletters either online or pick up a hard copy at your pickup site.  Have fun and let us know what creative dishes you cook up!