One of the cool things about doing a CSA is that from time to time something shows up in your share that you’ve never seen before. This week for me, it was kohlrabi.
If you’ve never tasted it, kohlrabi has a very mild, pleasant flavor. I found it to be kind of cabbagey tasting, in a very good way. It also has a very satisfying crunch which reminds me of broccoli. Apparently when kohlrabi is very young, you can eat it without having to peel it. But the outer layer of the large specimen we got was fibrous and tough, and it definitely needed to be peeled.
Our share this week also contained a bunch of turnips, and I had some left over carrots from the farmers market too. In light of this, I figured it was slaw time.
The dressing on this slaw is one that I use all the time with a shredded cabbage base, so feel free to sub in about a half of a head of cabbage if kohlrabi and turnips aren’t your thing.
This makes about 6-8 cups of slaw. When I’ve made (the cabbage version of) this in the past, I’ve often doubled it because it’s so tasty, and it does not last long in our house!
Kohlrabi and Turnip Spicy Asian Slaw
For the Dressing:
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 tbsp tamari, soy sauce, or Bragg’s Amino Acids
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 tsp sugar
- Juice of 1/2 a lime
- 5 thai chilis, sliced on the bias (or a seeded and chopped seranno or jalapeno)
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
Method
Whisk together all ingredients except for the onion (you can also use a blender for this). Pour the dressing over the sliced onion in a large bowl, and set aside for half an hour to let the onions macerate slightly in the liquid. Stir occasionally.
For the salad
Ingredients
- 1 large kohlrabi
- 3-4 small turnips
- 2 small carrots
- 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds
- 1 handful mint leaves, chopped
- Other herbs of your choice (optional, but chopepd cilantro or parsley or thai basil would be nice)
- Veggie “chick’n” strips (optional)
If your turnips still have their green tops attached, cut them off and set them aside for another use. Peel and trim all the veggies.
A food processor with the disk for shredding works best for the veggies. Shred all the veggies, and add them to the bowl with the onions and dressing. Add the sesame seeds, mint leaves, and “chick’n” strips and other herbs (if using). Toss the slaw to coat with dressing. Garnish with extra sesame seeds and herbs.
Serve right away, or tuck it into the fridge until you are ready. This lasts about 4 or 5 days in the fridge, but is best the day it’s made.
kat-food.com 