Bigger, sweeter and there when we need ‘er—here’s to Winter Kohlrabi.
Unlike the smaller bulbs that we harvest in Summer, the winter varieties grow to a larger size without becoming woody on the inside. So long as we harvest them before a hard frost, and remove the leaves ahead of storage, they keep well alongside our roots in the cellar. And when the fields won’t thaw, it is time to make a slaw (or any number of other things, which I’ll get into shortly). But first, I want to address Kohlrabi’s intimidation factor. I get it. It is a very cool but very odd looking vegetable, and I think it only becomes more puzzling the larger and seemingly tougher the bulbs get. However, those are actually superficial qualities—you’ll want to grab your vegetable peeler or practice your paring skills to peel away the winter rind. But, once you strip away the gruff exterior, you’ll find a sweet, mild and crisp vegetable to eat in a number of ways. It is actually one of the more versatile vegetables that we grow, and that’s one of the things I appreciate most about Kohlrabi. There’s a lot of good food inside of those skins (particularly the big honkers that we harvest for Winter). We’re a big hummus household, so quite often, we slice it up for dipping and enjoy it that way. But, when I get to craving a crisp and refreshing salad, I might julienne or grate it into any number of slaws or salads (along with whatever other roots might be kicking it in the fridge). Conversely, if I want something warm, I might lean into the sweet broccoli stem-like flavor and make a stir fry. And when I’m in need of something savory and cozy, I turn to Melissa Clark’s Caramelized Kohlrabi Soup. I haven’t tried it yet, but one of our customers swears by these Kohlrabi Steaks.