Discovering Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is German for "cabbage turnip" and is thought to have been developed in the 16th century in Northern Europe. It can be planted in fall or early spring and is relatively easy to grow. Although the bulb looks like a root, it is actually an enlarged stem. Now is the time to start kohlrabi seeds indoors for spring planting.

At the January Healthy Harvest meeting, Paula P. said she was looking for plants to grow in a winter garden and discovered kohlrabi. She hadn't heard of it before, but wanted something besides cabbage and greens to eat. She reported she had just harvested her first ones and found them delicious using the following recipe:

Roasted Kohlrabi
1-1/2 pounds fresh kohlrabi, ends and skin trimmed off, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic
Salt
Good vinegar

Set oven to 450 degrees. Toss the diced kohlrabi with olive oil, garlic and salt in a bowl. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven (it doesn't need to be fully preheated) and roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring every five minutes after about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a good vinegar and enjoy!