This week’s Local Food Cooking Challenge post is really a bonus-extension from last week’s trip to Niagara Grocery in James Bay. I would like to focus on one interesting vegetable new to my repertoire.
“Try one of these,” Elisabeth says as we pass the box of kohlrabi, the strange, turnip-meets-cabbage shaped green vegetable.
“What’s can you do with it?” I have to admit, it’s a new one for me. (Never even heard of it before.)
“Lots.”
So I wiki it… High in potassium, fiber, and vitamins A and C, kohlrabi is a member of the Brassica family (same as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) and comes to harvest mid-summer to first frost.
Taste Test
Kohlrabi cut open reveals pretty little air pockets
Intrigued by this strange hybrid, I cut it open to find it’s quite pretty inside, with little fractal-like air pockets, and try a piece, raw. Its flavour sits somewhere between the slight fresh-bite of cabbage and the sweetness of the stem of broccoli.
INGREDIENTS:
3 small potatoes (locally grown can be found at Niagara Grocery or Red Barn Market)
1 kohlrabi
1 shallot
1 tsp chives
1 tsp dill
4 eggs
1/4 cup flour (I used brown rice flour)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
PREP: Wash (and peel if needed) and grate potatoes. Wash kohlrabi, peel any soiled parts off, chop top and bottom off, quarter and grate. Squeeze out excess liquid. Peel and dice shallot.
COMBINE: Mix grated potatoes and kohlrabi, diced shallot, chives and dill with your hands in a large bowl. Whisk 4 eggs in separate bowl and mix into kohlrabi. Mix in flour a little at a time.
COOK: Heat butter in pan on Medium. Make a flat patty from a small handful and cook 1-2 minutes each side until lightly golden. You can dish ‘em out as they come off hot or reserve on a warming plate or in a warm oven.
SERVE warm with a dollop of mayo, fresh sliced apples and salt/pepper to taste. Serves 4.
Inspired by the Kohlrabi Latke recipe from Gaia Naturopathic Clinic
Kohlrabi & Potato Gratin and Kohlrabi Potato Bake also look delicious as well!
