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Curious purple vegetable in my CSA box

As I mentioned in another talk point, I got my first CSA delivery of the season yesterday. In it was the most confusing item that made me literally google "purple vegetable" to figure out what it was. Turns out it was kohlrabi. Now that I actually know what it is, what do I do with it? Any suggestions?

16 Comments:

Peel off the outer skin, slice it thin, blanch it.

You can have it in stir fries or in salads. I've even seen kohlrabi gratins before but I like my kohlrabi on the crisp side rather than tender.

I like it sliced raw, with a little salt and pepper.

Like Embackus...I love it raw, sliced up and just eat it w/ salt and pepper or you can slice it up and put it in a salad for a nice crunch.

sliced raw with some salt, or shredded like you would jicama for a salad or slaw.

Wait, kohlrabi is purple???
I bought something that was green and the sign said kohlrabi.
Does it come in different colors?
Kohlrabi newbie here.

My CSA had a TON of kohlrabi one year. Our favorite way to eat it was slaw. Slice up the kohlrabi into matchsticks and use like you would cabbage.

D'oh. Like joyyy said.

@ wookie, from my google and wikipedia research last night, it looks like kohlrabi can also be green. Who knew? We really do learn something everyday.

Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone! Keep them coming. I want to share the thoughts with my CSA share buddies.

Also does great when prepared as a quick pickle.
Peel and slice either into half moons (1/8" thick) or matchsticks. Pickle with vinegar to cover, a decent amount of sugar, some salt, and then a healthy pinch of red pepper flake or even fresh diced chili.
I use a 2 : 1 : 1/2 vinegar, sugar, salt ratio. But I like it tart

I just toss everything into a core container or glass jar with a tightly sealing top. Shake to mix and then let sit for at least 20 min before serving. If you keep overnight, I put it in the fridge. It's yummy with it's crisp and cold straight out the the fridge.

I made a fabulous salad with my CSA broccoli, onion and kohlrabi. I added some sliced artichoke hearts, black olives and a nice red wine vinaigrette. It was a HUGE hit at the picnic prior to the relaxing canoe trip down the French Broad River ... great food and great fun ...

I slice it, salt it, and eat it. We used to grow them up North. I search the markets looking for them all the time!

I usually julienne it finely, sprinkle liberally with salt, and let it sit. It becomes soft and flexible, but still retains the crisp raw texture. Drain off the water than it gave up, and give it a spin in the salad spinner or dry on a towel. If it's too salty, rinse briefly and dry it again. I like to dress it with a garlic-anchovy vinaigrette, but leave the salt out of the dressing.

The variety we grew in our garden when I was a kid was pale green, but I assume they're all about the same. Peel off the outside, slice, and eat raw as a snack. If it's small it should be pretty mild.

The color of them varies, but they all look like something out of one of the Myst Ages.

My dad grew them when I was a little kid, and I was fascinated by them. Brussels sprouts, too. Anyway, the purple ones seem to be appearing suddenly, but taste-wise, I don't see any difference between the two colors.

We always cooked ours, and I thought they were sort of like a rutabaga, only milder.

If they get too big, they get woody. You'll see the nasty fibers inside the flesh, and it's seriously woody. The smaller ones are much nicer.

What does everyone think kohlrabi taste like?

The farmer suggested it was like a crispy apple. Gf and I thought it was similar to a soft broccoli stem. Curious about other opinions.

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