June 13, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Kohlrabi

 

What's In The Box

Kohlrabi: Enjoy this week’s featured vegetable in its raw form or cook it! If this is your first time working with kohlrabi, head over to our blog and read more about this unique vegetable. After you peel the lower bulb portion, you’ll find tender, crispy, white flesh that is slightly sweet and reminiscent of cabbage. The leafy green tops are also edible and may be substituted in any recipe calling for collards. If you’re not sure what to do with kohlrabi, start by just cutting the bulb into strips and eating it raw with a pinch of salt and chili powder or dipping it into your favorite dressing!

Strawberries: It’s looking like it is going to be a short strawberry season, but this week’s harvests have been very abundant! Our strawberries are selected for flavor, not shipping and extended shelf life. To get the most out of your strawberries, keep them in the refrigerator and wash them just before eating. We recommend eating them within a few days of receiving…. which shouldn’t be hard to do!

Rhubarb: Just when you think there isn’t one more thing you can make with rhubarb, we uncover yet another goldmine of recipes! Check out the list below which includes Rhubarb & Spicy Goat Cheese Pizza & Rhubarb Chicken Curry.

Salad Mix: We are nearing the end of our spring salad mix run with just one to two more weeks of harvest at most. The nice thing about salad mix is that we’ve done all the hard work. The only thing left for you to do is keep it cold until you’re ready to eat it!

Spinach: This week we are harvesting a new variety of spinach we trialed named “Red Tabby.” The harvest wasn’t as strong as we had hoped, so we mixed it in with some of our regular spinach to make it go as far as possible. If your bag contains some spinach leaves with red veins and stems…. that’s the Red Tabby. Let us know what you think!

Garlic Scapes: Scapes are a byproduct of hardneck garlic production…and a tasty one at that! Use scapes in any recipe calling for garlic cloves. No need to peel, just chop it all up.

Mini Green Boston Lettuce or Red Oak Lettuce: We grow these smaller head lettuce varieties in the spring because they fit nicely in the CSA box and have shorter days to maturity. Use these delicate lettuces as a base for a salad or mix them in with kale or spinach for some variety.

Lacinato Kale: This variety of kale is also called “Dino” or “Tuscan” kale. It’s a good option for making raw kale salads, slaws, etc. You can also add it to soups, mix it in with beans, or cook it and add it to a pizza!

Purple Scallions: We’re adding a little splash of color to your allium this week with these gorgeous purple scallions! Use the lower purple base as well as the green tops, just discard the little root base.

BONUS: Broccoli or Cauliflower or Zucchini and/or Scallopini Squash—All of these items are just starting to come on…very slowly. We don’t have enough for all boxes just yet, but included a taste as supplies allow. Don’t worry, there will be more to come very soon! 

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Kohlrabi Custard

Kohlrabi & Chickpea Salad

Kohlrabi, Kale & Sausage Soup

Amazing Coconut Curried Greens (utilizing kale and kohlrabi leaves!)

Kale & Kohlrabi Gnocchi

Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce

Rhubarb Chicken Curry

Rhubarb Quinoa Salad

Rhubarb & Spicy Goat Cheese Pizza

German Rhubarb Pie

Little Gem Lettuce with Rhubarb Dressing & Strawberries

Strawberry Feta Kale Salad

Strawberry Rhubarb Bundt Cake

Roasted Rhubarb Salad with Salad Mix

Greek Lettuce Salad with Scallions & Dill

Spinach Salad with Scallions & Hot Bacon Dressing

Kohlrabi Salad with Spinach, Dates & Hazelnuts

Kohlrabi and Garlic Scape Fritters with Spiced Lemon Tahini

Garlic Scape Curry

Garlic Scape Egg Soup

Vegetable Feature: Kohlrabi

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 & Usage:

Kohlrabi can be prepared in many different ways, both raw and cooked. It may be sauteed, 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!”

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.

Kohlrabi in the field

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 kohlrabi 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 Tips:

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.

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.

Transplanting Kohlrabi

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!

Creamy Hungarian Kohlrabi Soup

Kohlrabi has, historically, been a part of central and northern European cuisine, primarily in countries such as Germany, Hungary, and Poland. Creamy kohlrabi soup is a traditional way to eat kohlrabi in Hungary, and it is a simple, humble recipe. As with many traditional recipes, every person’s grandmother has her own special way of making these traditional recipes.  Thus, the recipe below is my adaptation of several recipes I found for this soup. I hope you enjoy it in all its simplicity.

Yield:  4-6 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil or butter

3 medium kohlrabi with greens

3-4 garlic scapes, finely chopped

3-4 scallions

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 ½-2 tsp sweet paprika

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3/4 cup heavy cream

½ cup sour cream

2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. First, prepare the vegetables. Remove the greens from the kohlrabi and set aside. Cut the kohlrabi into quarters and remove the peeling with a paring knife. Once peeled, cut the kohlrabi into medium dice, and set aside. Wash the leaves and separate the leaf portion from the thick rib and stem. Rough chop the leaves and set aside.
2. Roughly chop the garlic scapes and set aside. Remove the green tops from the scallions and slice the lower onion portion. Set aside with the garlic scapes. Finely slice the green tops and set aside to use as a garnish for serving the soup. 
3. Warm the oil or butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic scapes and sauté until fragrant and tender. Sprinkle the flour and 1 ½ tsp paprika over the onion & garlic mixture and stir to combine all of the flour.  It should make a light paste. Add 1 cup of the chicken or vegetable stock to the pan and stir to incorporate the flour paste into the liquid.  Once well combined with no lumps, add the remaining stock along with the diced kohlrabi, kohlrabi leaves and 2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium-to-medium high heat.  Simmer, uncovered, until the kohlrabi is just tender when tested with a fork, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and carefully puree the soup either with an immersion blender in the pan you prepared the soup in, or carefully transfer the soup to a blender. Purée until smooth, then return the soup to the original pan. Heat the soup over low heat and carefully stir in the heavy cream and sour cream, being careful that the mixture does not come to a boil. 
6. Once warmed through, taste the soup. Add additional salt, pepper, and/or paprika to your liking. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and serve with the green onion tops.

Recipe developed by Chef Andrea, based on several different Hungarian cooks’ recipes. The primary sources for this recipe are as follows:  https://www.gastronomersguide.com/2008/12/kohlrabi-soup.html 

https://www.thespruceeats.com/hungarian-creamy-kohlrabi-soup-1137419  

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.

June 16, 2022 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Kohlrabi

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Purple Scallions:

Scallion Vinaigrette 

Chinese Scallion Bread 

Garlic Scapes:  

Garlic Scapes Dip 

Roasted Garlic Scape Hummus 

Baby Spinach or Sauté Mix or Baby Arugula:  

Healthy Spinach Chicken Meatballs 

Strawberry Arugula Salad 

Salad Mix:    

25 Easy Salad Dressing Recipes 

Fresh Spring Rolls with Pork, Mango and Mesclun 

Baby Bok Choi:  

Wonton Soup with Bok Choi 

Spicy Pork Bok Choy Quiche 

Broccoli:  

Broccoli Melts 

Broccoli & Kohlrabi Salad 

Kohlrabi:  

Lemon Dill Kohlrabi Fritters (See Below)

Take a moment to read this week’s vegetable feature article that follows below.  You’ll find links to 17 more recipes at the end!

Green Curly Kale: 

Green Grapefruit Smoothie

Sesame Coconut Kale Salad

Green Top Radishes:  

Kohlrabi & Radish Salad 

Radish Tea Sandwiches with Dill Spread 

Mini Red Romaine or Red Oak Lettuce and Mini Green Boston Lettuce:  

Romaine Salad with a Creamy Dill Dressing 

Red Oak Leaf & Bibb Salad with Gruyere and Garlic Croutons 

Dill:  

Lemon Baked Fish with Dill Panko Topping 

Classic Dill Chicken Salad 

Roasted Garlic Scape Hummus

Welcome back for another week of cooking!  This is our last CSA box of the spring as next week will mark the official start of summer!  This week you may notice a transition in the box contents a bit.  We’re moving into some of our mid-season greens such as kale, while finishing up our spring planted baby greens.  We’re also starting to see more of our more “durable” vegetables such as broccoli and kohlrabi!  With this week’s heat wave, the crops are really starting to take off so get ready as we’ll have more new items coming over the next few weeks including zucchini, beets, fennel and before too long the first crop of carrots!

This week we’re featuring kohlrabi and I’ve given you a lot of options for how to use this unique vegetable!  Read on in the vegetable feature article that follows and you’ll find a long list of kohlrabi recipe ideas.  I’ve also included a simple recipe for Lemon Dill Kohlrabi Fritters as our featured recipe this week.  This is a tasty recipe that you could make for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  These fritters are a great accompaniment to eggs for breakfast or brunch, but would also be a great side dish for grilled pork chops, steak or roasted chicken.  If you are looking for a light lunch or dinner option, they could also serve as a main item for a light meal accompanied by a green salad!

In addition to the extravaganza of kohlrabi recipes, I’ve tried to give you a mix of different recipe inspirations for the other vegetables this week ranging from salads to smoothies, tea sandwiches and quiche, or if you want to get a little more adventurous you can try your hand at wonton soup or spring rolls!

Have a great week and next week we’ll officially transition to summer, complete with strawberries and a few other surprises! 

---Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Kohlrabi

by Andrea Yoder

Kohlrabi in the field

Richard and I re-learned an important lesson this week.  Never underestimate the growth potential of a vegetable!  We had planned to include kohlrabi in this week’s boxes, but last  Saturday we both went to the kohlrabi field and both agreed it was just too small.  The crop needed more time.  So I revised the list of box contents and we set up our harvest schedule for the week.  And then on Monday morning Richard returned to the office just before lunch with three sizeable kohlrabi and a report that most of them were that size and we needed to start harvesting them!  Really?  In less than 48 hours those little kohlrabi took off and grew!  I wish now I had stayed in the field a little longer.  Perhaps I may have actually seen them expanding!  So it’s clear these kohlrabi were determined to keep their place in this week’s box and as such we’ve designated them as our featured vegetable this week! 

While kohlrabi bears resemblance to other vegetables with some of its characteristics, it’s really just uniquely its own thing.  It is a member of the Brassica family, and the name is derived from “khol” meaning stem or cabbage and “rabi” meaning turnip.  But it doesn’t resemble cabbage or turnip in appearance, rather it has its own unique identity.  While many people think kohlrabi is a root vegetable, it is actually a swollen stem that develops above ground!  The stems and leaves shoot up from the bulbous lower portion.  

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.  I usually strip the leaves off the main stems before using them.  If you are a fan of kale chips, you can do the same thing with kohlrabi leaves.  I tried this concept earlier this week and they were excellent!  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 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.  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.

Now, kohlrabi has gotten a bad rap at times in the past.  Several years ago, pre pandemic, when I was doing CSA fairs, I had several people complain about kohlrabi.  While they had not yet participated in our CSA, they voiced similar generalizations that kohlrabi is a difficult vegetable that people in CSAs get way too much of.  Contrary to urban myth, kohlrabi is a very cool vegetable!   I can’t speak for other farms, but we plant kohlrabi in two specific places in the season.  In the spring, kohlrabi is ready for harvest before other brassicas such as cabbage and cauliflower.  In the fall we grow a different variety of kohlrabi intended to be stored well into the winter.  So kohlrabi is not a filler vegetable, but rather we grow it intentionally because it’s part of our progression through the seasons and it’s delicious!  What is there to not love about kohlrabi!?!  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!  

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!” While we will enjoy kohlrabi in this way, it may be used in more ways beyond creamy slaw!  Even though I’ve been searching for kohlrabi recipes for years, I hit a landmine of some ideas this week!  Maybe it’s just becoming more popular, or maybe I just wasn’t looking in the right place to find the gems of recipes.  Check out the list of recipes below and hopefully you’ll find something intriguing to make week!

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 Crisps 

Vegetarian Kohlrabi Gratin with Dill & Mustard 

Spicy Kohlrabi Salad

Simple Kohlrabi Salad 

Chinese Pork and Kohlrabi Fried Rice 

Kohlrabi Stir-Fried with Garlic & Egg 

Stir-Fried Kohlrabi with Bacon & Scallions 

Kohlrabi Noodles with Brown Sage Butter 

Kale & Kohlrabi Gnocchi 

Kohlrabi Salad with Cilantro, Jalapeno & Lime 

Kohlrabi Slaw with Fennel & Apple 

Kohlrabi Lasagna with Cheesy Cream Cheese Layers 

Kohlrabi and Bok Choi pizza (with kale)

Kohlrabi Kale Slaw with Honey Dijon Dressing & Dill 

Kohlrabi & Chickpea Salad 

Kohlrabi in White Sauce 

Grilled Cheese with Apples, Dijon & Kohlrabi 

 

Lemon Dill Kohlrabi Fritters

Yield:  8-10 fritters

2 heaping cups grated kohlrabi

1 cup finely chopped scallions or onions

⅓ to ½ cup all-purpose flour or oat flour

2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves or 2 Tbsp garlic scapes, finely chopped

1 tsp lemon zest

¾ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs lightly beaten

Olive oil for cooking

1. Remove the skin from the kohlrabi with a paring knife.  Grate the kohlrabi using a hand grater, box grater, or julienne peeler.  Transfer to a clean dish towel and squeeze as much water as possible out of it over the sink.  You may also put the kohlrabi in a colander and press out the liquid.
2. Add the drained, grated kohlrabi to a mixing bowl with the scallions or onion, flour, dill, garlic or garlic scapes, lemon zest, and salt.  Pour in the lightly beaten eggs and mix until the batter comes together.  You may want to start with just one egg to see if that is sufficient to bring the batter together.  The batter will be a little loose, but if it appears too wet, add one or two more tablespoons of flour.
3. Place a medium to large skillet on the stove and heat over medium to medium-high heat.  Add enough oil to generously cover the pan and heat just until it simmers.  Using two serving spoons, take a scoop of batter from the bowl and form a fritter by patting the batter into the bowl of one spoon with the other spoon.  They should be about ½-inch thick and 2 inches wide.  Slide the fritter directly off the spoon and into the hot oil.  
4. Cook the fritters in batches for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown, then flip it over and cook the second side until golden brown.  You may need to adjust the heat so they cook evenly and through to the center.  A bit of patience is helpful here.  If the pan is too hot the fritters will blacken and the centers will not be cooked.
5. Once cooked, either serve them immediately or place them on a sheet tray with a rack and hold them in the oven at low heat until you are ready to serve them.  
6. Serve them warm with a dollop of sour cream, yogurt, a pat of butter and/or applesauce, or just plain!

Recipe sourced from https://itsavegworldafterallcom/kohlrabi-fritters.....with a few minor adaptations by Chef Andrea.

June 17, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Kohlrabi!

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Garlic Scapes:
Tempura Garlic Scapes
Roasted Garlic Scape Hummus
Lemon  Garlic Scape Compound Butter

Green Scallions:
Steak with Scallion-Ginger Sauce
Swiss Chard and Spring Onion Risotto

Red Oak Lettuce:
Red Oak Lettuce Salad with Spiced Popcorn, Drunken Cherries & Gouda
Peach and Oak Leaf Lettuce Salad with Honey-Shallot Vinaigrette

Strawberries:
Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert
Healthy Greek Yogurt Strawberry Pancakes

Lacinato Kale:
Lacinato Kale Caesar Salad
Curried Lentils with Kale and Coconut Milk

Rainbow Chard:
Swiss Chard Salad with Lemon, Parmesan and Breadcrumbs
Garlicky Swiss Chard & Chickpea Stir Fry

Green Zucchini and/or Sunburst Squash:
My Favorite Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Cheddar Cheese Savory Muffins

Kohlrabi:
Kohlrabi Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette (See Below)
Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan (See Below)
Kohlrabi Recipes from Dishing Up The Dirt

Sweet Baby Broccoli:
Broccoli and Kohlrabi Fried Rice
Broccoli Melt with Fried Egg

Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert
photo from lifeloveandsugar.com

Hello Everyone!

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!

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!”

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.

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 servings

2 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

1. 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. 
2. 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.  
3. 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.
4. Taste the salad and season with additional salt, pepper and/or chili powder as needed.
5. Just before serving, stir in the pumpkin seeds and cheese.

Recipe created by Chef Andrea Yoder.

Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan

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

1. Cut the kohlrabi in halves or quarters and peel away the outer skin using a paring knife.
2. Slice the kohlrabi thinly, nearly paper thin, using a sharp knife or a mandoline.  
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.