Cooking With This Week's Box
Steak with Scallion-Ginger Sauce
Swiss Chard and Spring Onion Risotto
Red Oak Lettuce Salad with Spiced Popcorn, Drunken Cherries & Gouda
Peach and Oak Leaf Lettuce Salad with Honey-Shallot Vinaigrette
Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert
Healthy Greek Yogurt Strawberry Pancakes
Lacinato Kale Caesar Salad
Curried Lentils with Kale and Coconut Milk
Swiss Chard Salad with Lemon, Parmesan and Breadcrumbs
Garlicky Swiss Chard & Chickpea Stir Fry
My Favorite Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Cheddar Cheese Savory Muffins
Kohlrabi Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette (See Below)
Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan (See Below)
Kohlrabi Recipes from Dishing Up The Dirt
Broccoli and Kohlrabi Fried Rice
Broccoli Melt with Fried Egg
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| Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert photo from lifeloveandsugar.com |
I hope you’ve been surviving these hot days we’ve had as
of recent! We’ve had to take extra water
breaks and pace ourselves, but the work goes on and many of the vegetables are really
taking off now! We’re excited to be
picking our first zucchini and (hopefully) cucumbers this week. We’re also in the peak of strawberry season
and the sugar snap peas are just starting to mature. This week’s box still has a fare amount of
greens in it, but we’re starting to get a little more variety now starting with
this week’s kohlrabi!
For some reason, kohlrabi always seems to be one of those
vegetables that doesn’t get a fair shot.
Yes, it looks a little different than some vegetables and you have to
peel it, but once you get past those two minor facts, the sweet, juicy, dense
flesh inside is so good! Its mild flavor
makes it a good candidate for a wide variety of uses. In the fall and winter when we have storage
kohlrabi I often use it in soups and I like to roast it in the oven. However, given we are in the heat of the
growing season I’ve opted to include two tasty salad recipes this week. The first is a recipe for Kohlrabi Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
(See Below), which was inspired by our crew from Mexico. Last fall we had some kohlrabi on our “take
home pallet” and I convinced a few of our crew members to try it. I told them it was actually very similar to
jicama, which they are more familiar with.
Turns out, many of them found out they really like kohlrabi! They eat it as they would eat jicama. Fresh with a squeeze of lime and a little
chili powder. This was the thought I had
in my mind as I put together this refreshing salad recipe. The second recipe this week for Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan
(See Below) comes from one of my frequently visited blogs, alexandracooks.com. This is a super simple recipe with basic, but
full flavors. If you’re looking for more
recipe ideas to utilize kohlrabi, check out this website along with Andrea Bemis’s dishingupthedirt.com. Both of these ladies are experts in seasonal eating and have some great recipe
suggestions!
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| Lacinato Kale Caesar Salad photo from thekitchn.com |
This week’s greens are little more hardy than some of the
greens we’ve had recently. Both lacinato
kale and rainbow chard can be eaten cooked or used raw in salads such as this Lacinato Kale Caesar Salad or one my favorite Swiss Chard Salad with Lemon, Parmesan and Breadcrumbs.
The strawberries are likely in their peak this week and
we’ve been picking every day to keep up with their ripening! If you don’t just eat them out of the
container, then consider using them to make this Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert or enjoy them for breakfast with these Healthy Greek Yogurt Strawberry Pancakes.
As we look ahead to next week, we anticipate we’ll be
harvesting cucumbers and beets! Fennel
is coming up soon as well, but it may need another week or so. We also hope to pick more peas next week, but
we’ll have to see how things go over the next week or so. Have a great week and I’ll see you back here
next week for more seasonal recipe ideas!—Chef Andrea
Vegetable Feature: Kohlrabi
By: Chef Andrea Yoder
Description: Kohlrabi is a crisp, juicy, sweet, mild flavored vegetable. While kohlrabi is in the cabbage family and resembles a turnip, it grows differently than both. Many people mistake kohlrabi for being a root vegetable that grows under the ground, but it is actually an enlarged stem that grows above the soil level. The stems and leaves shoot up from the bulbous part to give it a unique appearance unlike any other vegetable. We grow green, purple and white varieties, but there really isn’t any distinguishable difference between the three once they are peeled.Preparation & Use: Kohlrabi can be prepared in many different ways, both raw and cooked. It may be sautéed, stir-fried, braised, roasted, grilled and baked. The simplest way to eat it is to peel it 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. If you ask Farmer Richard what his favorite way to eat kohlrabi is, I guarantee he’ll say, “Creamy Kohlrabi Slaw!”
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| Kohlrabi Slaw |
While kohlrabi pairs well with creamy sauces and is great in refreshing salads, it is actually an adaptable vegetable that also pairs well with a lot of other flavor profiles from around the world. Don’t be afraid to use kohlrabi in curries or stir-fries. You may also come across some recipes for stuffed kohlrabi that is baked, a concept that descends more from European cuisine along with a variety of soup and stew recipes.
To use kohlrabi, first remove the fibrous peel from the exterior of the bulb prior to eating. You can do this easily by cutting the kohrabi into halves or quarters and then peeling away the outer skin with a paring knife. The flesh is dense and crisp, yet tender, juicy and sweet with a hint of a mild cabbage flavor. The leaves on kohlrabi are edible as well, so don’t just discard them. They have the texture and characteristics of collard greens, so you could use them in any recipe calling for collards or kale. They are also good eaten raw. Just make sure you slice them thinly and toss them with an acidic vinaigrette to soften the leaves.
Storage: 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.
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| Kohlrabi sprouts in the greenhouse. |
Health & Nutrition: Kohlrabi is an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. It is low in calories and sodium, and contains indoles, which are believed to be potentially significant anti-cancer compounds. These plant compounds are not destroyed with cooking of the vegetable.
Cultural & Historical Background: The name for kohlrabi is derived from “khol” meaning stem or cabbage and “rabi” meaning turnip.
Growing Information: Kohlrabi is seeded in the greenhouse in early March and transplanted to the field as early as possible in April, along with other vegetables in the same family of brassica crops including broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Kohlrabi is reliably one of the first of this family of vegetables to be ready, so it has earned its “niche” in seasonal eating while we wait for broccoli and cauliflower to make heads. We also grow a slightly different type of kohlrabi in the fall that is intended for long term storage. We hope to include storage kohlrabi in your boxes most likely in December!
Kohlrabi Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette
Yield: 6 servings2 Tbsp lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp stoneground mustard
1 ½ tsp honey
¼ tsp chili powder, plus more to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper, ground (optional)
¾ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup sunflower or olive oil
3 cups kohlrabi, small dice
2 scallions, lower portion minced and green tops finely sliced
1 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted
3 ounces queso fresco or feta cheese, diced or crumbled
- In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, lime zest, vinegar, mustard, honey, chili powder, cayenne pepper (if using), ¼ tsp salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk well to combine. Slowly drizzle in oil while continuing to whisk. Let set for 5-10 minutes, then taste. If it tastes a little flat, add a little more vinegar and/or a bit more salt. The heat of the chili powder will continue to develop with time. For the best flavor, you may want to make the vinaigrette several hours or a day in advance of putting together the salad.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced kohlrabi, scallions and cilantro. Season with ½ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Pour about half to two-thirds of the vinaigrette over the vegetables and stir to combine. You want to have enough vinaigrette to thoroughly coat the vegetables, but not so much that it pools in the bottom of the bowl. Add more vinaigrette as needed to your liking.
- Taste the salad and season with additional salt, pepper and/or chili powder as needed.
- Just before serving, stir in the pumpkin seeds and cheese.
Recipe created by Chef Andrea Yoder.
Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan
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| Photo from alexandracooks.com |
Yield: 4 to 6
1 to 2 kohlrabi, more or less
Nice, flaky sea salt such as Maldon or kosher salt
2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar, or more as needed
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh herbs such as basil, chives, tarragon, or dill
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shaved with a peeler, to taste
- Cut the kohlrabi in halves or quarters and peel away the outer skin using a paring knife.
- Slice the kohlrabi thinly, nearly paper thin, using a sharp knife or a mandoline.
- Season it: Spread the slices of kohlrabi out in a large bowl, sprinkle evenly with the salt. If you have to layer up the slices, season one layer, then season the layer on top. Sprinkle with the vinegar and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes or until the slices soften and are pliable.
- Add the olive oil and basil (or other herbs) and toss with your hands to coat. Taste. Add more salt and vinegar to taste as needed. If you want to add more olive oil, do so as well.
- Add the parmesan and toss gently. I like to add the parmesan at the very end or even shave it over top to prevent it from getting too broken up, but this is mostly for aesthetic reasons. Serve.
Recipe borrowed from AlexandraCooks.com
Please note, the author has written this recipe as a loose guide. You can adjust the ingredients to your liking based on the overall quantity you with to make.
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