Over the past couple of weeks you’ll notice that Veggie of the month was not being posted. In fact there was not even a vegetable for June or July!
This was due to a illness in our family. In fact my son was hospitalized for a total of 9 days in June. It was a rough go but thankfully he is completely healed.
Which means it is now time for the Vegetable of the Month to return! I actually had this blog written for July and time got away from me. Instead of waiting to post it next year I thought I would just post it now.
Look for a new post next week for the true August veggie: Summer Squash!
With the time taken off I realized that a weekly recipe is just not realistic with my work and family schedule.
Instead I am going to highlight a veggie twice a month.
This also frees up some of my time to write about other things…. like exercise and health!
Kohlrabi was suppose to be the highlighted veggie for July. It is so delicious that I want to make sure you all still go to the farmers market and try one. (Seriously I love this one! I started cutting and kept eating bites as I cut it up!)
Kohlrabi is known as a German Turnip. Although not technically from the turnip family but rather it is part of the Brassica family. Same as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Which means it’s good for you!
This one is another very interesting looking vegetable. In fact its similar to celeriac in that I wonder what made someone want to eat it. They must have been seriously hungry!
First off, the outside layer is just not edible. I mean it won’t poison you but its does not taste great. So this means some peeling needs to be done in order to get to the good stuff. I’m not going to lie. It’s not easy to peel. You need a very sharp peeler or a good paring knife.
Once peeled, you’ll discover a wonderful white flesh inside that is very similar to a very crisp apple. Kohlrabi comes in several different colors. A deep purple, pale green or white. However, once peeled they all look the same, and can be eaten raw if you like. For those of you needing a little crunch at night instead of chips this would be a great substitute. In fact this was our preferred way of eating it.
It also would be a great addition to any veggies you serve with hummus or dip. Or thrown into a salad for a some added texture.
Make sure to not throw away the leaves since they edible and yummy! They are perfect for going in a salad. The leaves can be substituted into any recipe that calls for spinach or collard greens.
When storing kohlrabi, cut the leaves off and eat them soon, within a day or two. Then place the kohlrabi in a plastic or paper bag and place in the crisper section of your refrigerator. It will stay fresh for 2 to 3 months. If you really love it and want to preserve it for winter you can freeze it.
One of the ways we tried cooked kohlrabi is by sautéing them with apples. Super simple recipe!
Sautéed Kohlrabi & Apples
- 4 cups of Kohlrabi, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 Green Apple, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 TBSP of Butter or Ghee
- 1-2 TBPS of Parsley, roughly chopped
- Place the Kohlrabi in one pan with 1.5 Tbsp of butter or ghee. Sauté for 10 minutes. Until golden brown.
- At the same time place the apple into a separate pan with .5 TBSP of butter. Sauté for 8-10 minutes.
- Once both are done cooking throw them into a bowl and mix with the parsley.
Look next week for our return of regular veggie of the month blogs!!