Seasonal produce - Kohlrabi

I was reading through the Sydney Food Markets guide to seasonal produce for July 2009 and spied the vegetable kohlrabi in the list. I have to admit I haven't had much exposure to this vegetable so I decided to do some research. I opened up the wonderful Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon and found a description of this strange looking vegetable.

(Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) This is a showy vegetable if ever there was one: purple or green, and sometimes both. It is round with a tapering root end, sprouting leaves on stems from its surface. The flavour is somewhat like a turnip, makes a good flavour accent in vegetable soups and lends itself to being simmered in a light coconut milk sauce with spices. May also be used in Chinese stir-fries or braised dishes.

Other names include:

China: chou ching gom larn
Japan: loorabi
Philippines: kohlrabi
Sri Lanka: knol kohl
Thailand: kalam pom

A quick flickr search and I found some wonderful photos of kohlrabi and this one by Marco is accompanied by a recipe.

Kohlrabi 1, originally uploaded by Marco Veringa

Uploaded on April 19, 2009
by Marco Veringa [ FS FD INT FL ]

Kohlrabi in Creamy Dill Sauce

Ingredients

350 Gram Kohlrabi quartered
225 Gram Carrots shredded
25 Gram Butter
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Chopped Dill
150 Ml Cream
Salt and Pepper 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch Method: Thickly peel the kohlrabi to remove the woody outer layer. Slice thinly and cook with the carrots, butter and stock for about 10 minutes, until tender.Blend the Corn Starch with very little cold water and mix under the vegetable stew. Stir well.Return to the boil and stir in the Cream and Dill, adjust seasoning and serve hot with your main dish.

Photo and recipe by Marco Veringo from Cosmopolitan’s Food, Photography and Lifestyle Blog
url: http://cosmopolitanone.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/portrait-of-an-alien

And to show the variety of colours, here's another photographic gem

kohlrabi, originally uploaded by Lawrence Farmers' Market

Encyclopedia of Asian Food
by Charmaine Solomon