New Food Mondays

My family has begun a new tradition… “New Food Mondays!” The idea is to try a new recipe or ingredient every Monday and to hopefully find some new family favorites. I have to say that so far, my family hasn’t loved any of the “new” foods… however, we all enjoy the anticipation of trying something new.

This past Monday featured a new vegetable for us called kohlrabi (kol-robby). I realize that we’re behind the times when I write that this vegetable is “new.” It’s not. But, for us it was our first time buying, preparing, and tasting kohlrabi. Boy! I thought it was one of the tastiest vegetables I’ve ever had!

Here’s the kohlrabi story. I found kohlrabi in the supermarket produce section nestled between some cauliflower and chard… it was only $2.49 for three large kohlrabi bulbs! At home, I peeled the bulbs, diced them, then sautéed them for about 10 minutes. Then, I combined the slightly-cooked kohlrabi in a casserole with chicken sausage and a cream sauce. I baked the mixture for another 20 minutes.

I found that the kohlrabi was still firm (though evidently it’s great to eat kohlrabi when it's firm and/or raw). I served a heaping spoonful to myself, my husband, and my kiddos. Mmmm! What a sweet, crispy veggie treat that kohlrabi turned out to be! I couldn’t stop making yummy sounds, but the rest of my family was not so impressed. Good for them to give it a try though!

I bet the next time I include kohlrabi in a coleslaw they’ll all like it, or I can try to winter roasted Kohlrabi recipe below. Maybe I’ll give it a go for one of the next “New Food Mondays!”



Winter Roasted Kohlrabi

1 1/2 pounds fresh kohlrabi, ends trimmed, thick green skin sliced off with a knife, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic (garlic is optional, to my taste)
Salt
Vinegar

Set oven to 450F. Toss the diced kohlrabi with olive oil, garlic and salt in a bowl. (The kohlrabi can be tossed with oil and seasonings right on the pan but uses more oil.) Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven (it needn't be fully preheated) and roast for 30 - 35 minutes, stirring every five minutes after about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a good vinegar (probably at the table so the kohlrabi doesn't get squishy).