June 15, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Kohlrabi

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Kohlrabi:  

Spring Grilled Cheese with Scarred Scallions
Photo from www.farmtomartket.com

Kohlrabi Caesar Salad (See below)

Kohlrabi Chicken Salad (See below)

White Scallions:  

Spring Grilled Cheese with Scarred Scallions 

Scallion Cream Cheese Bagel Spread 

Lacinato Kale:  

Roasted Beet & Kale Salad with Maple Candied Nuts 

Spicy Kale & Coconut Fried Rice 

Lemon Kale Muffins 

Lettuce Salad with Dill Vinaigrette
Photo from www.food52.com

Garlic Scapes:  

Roasted Garlic Scape Hummus 

Tempura Garlic Scapes 

Mini Romaine Head Lettuce:  

Lettuce Salad with Dill Vinaigrette 

Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps 

Zucchini:

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins 

Zucchini Butter Pasta 

Strawberries:   

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Strawberry Pretzel Salad 

Dill:  

Spinach Dill Pie 

Creamy Dill Potato Salad 

Bunched Spinach:  

Dill & Spinach Dip

Pasta with Lemon Ricotta Spinach Sauce 

Spinach Dill Pie
Photo from www.marthastewart.com

This is the final week of spring; can you believe it?!  This week’s box is still packed full of greens that are full of vital nutrients (and flavor), but we’re also starting to see more “durable” vegetables starting to come.  This week we’re featuring Kohlrabi, a very unique vegetable that holds an important place in our seasonal diets.  I have two recipes to share with you this week, and they’re simple ones.  The first is Kohlrabi Caesar Salad (See below), an adaptation of a traditional Caesar salad concept. You may choose to eat it as a side dish or turn it into a main dish by adding some protein, such as cooked chicken, salmon or pan-fried tofu.  The second recipe for Kohlrabi Chicken Salad (See below)  is from Andrea Bemis at Dishing Up the Dirt. This is a super easy recipe to make, but it’s one of those recipes that you can take some liberty with to add more vegetables, such as this week’s kohlrabi!  

We aren’t sure how much longer we’ll be picking strawberries, but the season is likely going to wind down very soon.  If you can manage to not eat all the strawberries right out of the containers, then consider making one of these two strawberry desserts. Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is a great recipe to take to a summer cookout.  This Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a relic of my past as it was something my Mom often made to take to church potlucks!  We always prayed that no one else would like it so we could take the whole thing home…..but that seldom happened.

If you’re wondering how to put the bunch of dill in this week’s box to use, no worries, I’ve got you covered.  You can use it in the featured recipe for chicken salad, but it would also be a nice addition to this Creamy Dill Potato Salad.  You can’t go wrong with this Dill & Spinach Dip, which may be used as a dip for bread, chips or vegetables.  This is also good as a topping for baked or roasted potatoes! And if you’re feeling a bit more creative and invested, consider this Spinach Dill Pie.

The last thing I want to mention is zucchini! Zucchini made it here before the official first day of summer! This is a staple vegetable that we’ll be eating a lot of over the next few months, but it’s also very versatile and does have nutritive value!  This week I included  both a sweet and a savory recipe using zucchini.  The sweet recipe is for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins.  I figure a chocolate muffin becomes even more qualified as a healthy snack if we add zucchini to it! If you prefer to do a savory preparation, consider this Zucchini Butter Pasta.  It’s a super easy, but super satisfying dish!

I’m going to wrap it up for this week as I have a lot to do to get ready for the CSA party at the farm coming up this Friday!  Have a great week and I’ll see you back here next week.

Thanks!

Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Kohlrabi

by Andrea Yoder

Kohlrabi is one of the most unique vegetables and is gorgeous to see in the field! Many people think it is a root vegetable, but it’s not.  It actually grows above ground and is classified as a swollen stem.  The stems and leaves shoot up from the bulbous lower portion and the entire plant is anchored into the ground by a strong root. It is a member of the Brassica family, and the name is derived from “khol” meaning stem or cabbage and “rabi” meaning turnip. While all these vegetables are in the same family, kohlrabi doesn’t resemble cabbage or turnip in appearance, instead holding its own unique identity.  

So, what part of kohlrabi do you eat? Well, 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. The bulb does need to be peeled before eating as the outer skin is tough. I find it easiest to cut the bulb in half or quarters and then peel the skin away using a vegetable peeler or paring knife as if 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.  The bottom of the bulb where it is cut from the stem when it is harvested can also sometimes be a bit tough. I usually just trim the very bottom of the bulb off and use the remainder. One little note, regardless of the exterior color of the kohlrabi, the inside always looks pretty much the same. We grow white, purple, and green varieties. To store kohlrabi, separate the stems and leaves from the bulb and store both 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. 

Kohlrabi is a very cool vegetable that is an important part of our late spring lineup. It is always ready for harvest before other brassicas such as cabbage and cauliflower and it often comes in just ahead of beets, carrots, and fennel. We also sometimes grow kohlrabi in the fall, although it is a different variety that is intended to be stored well into the winter. So, kohlrabi is a very intentional part of our seasonal diets and it’s quite delicious!  It’s sweet, mild flavored, crispy, crunchy, versatile and unique.  You can eat it raw, roasted, baked, pan-fried, and stir-fried. You can use it in salads, on pizza, to make risotto and soup as well as a whole host of other dishes from all around the world! 

As with other vegetables in this family, kohlrabi is rich in nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. It is low in calories and sodium, and contains indoles, which are believed to be potentially significant anti-cancer compounds. 

Kohlrabi Caesar Salad

Photo from www.whitneymiller.com

Yield:  4 servings

Toasted Breadcrumbs:

1 Tbsp salted butter or ghee

2 slices bread

Sea salt, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Dressing:

4 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp stoneground Dijon mustard

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp minced garlic scapes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:

6 cups spiralized or julienned kohlrabi

Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter or ghee. Tear the slices of bread into pieces and add to the skillet. Season with salt and garlic powder to taste. Cook until the bread pieces are toasted, tossing occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
2. For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic scapes in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
3. For the salad, place the spiralized or julienned kohlrabi in a large salad bowl. Spoon the dressing over the top. Toss with two spoons or tongs until the kohlrabi is coated with the dressing. 
4. To serve, portion onto four plates and top with the toasted breadcrumbs and freshly grated cheese.

Recipe borrowed from Whitney Miller.

Kohlrabi Chicken Salad

Photo from www.dishingupthedirt.com

Yield:  4 servings

3 cups cooked and shredded or chopped chicken

1 cup peeled kohlrabi, small diced

¼ cup dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins

½ cup toasted and chopped walnuts

½ cup whole milk plain yogurt

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

¼ cup finely chopped dill

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the ingredients. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
2. Serve on bread, with crackers or wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

Recipe borrowed from Andrea Bemis’ blog, Dishing Up The Dirt.