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

Food Markets of the Illawarra

One of the things I have been learning of late (both on tv shows such as River Cottage Autumn, web-based organisations such as Slow Food) is the importance on sourcing local food suppliers. We all know that fresh is best and the shortest distance between supplier and our dinner plate the better. That's why I love visiting fresh food markets such as the Shellharbour Village Markets, Kiama Produce Market and Wollongong Produce Market, .

Shellharbour Village Craft Markets
Held every second Sunday 9.00am til 2.00pm in the grounds of Shellharbour Public School
Mary Street SHELLHARBOUR NSW 2529.
2009 dates include May 10th, June 14th, July 12th, August 9th, September 13, October 11th, November 8th, December 13th. Be sure to mark them on your calendar!

Kiama Produce Market
Wonderful market held on the fourth Saturday of every month. Stalls including fresh and cured fish, meats, fruits and vegetables, cheeses and nuts, wines and other gourmet foods.

Wollongong Produce Market is held every friday in Crown Street Mall, Wollongong. Stalls of note include the fresh fruit and vegetable stall, Razorback Grove Olives (producers of fresh olives, olive oil and cheeses), fudge, fresh herb plants and assorted arts and crafts.

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Note: If you know of any Illawarra fresh produce markets or suppliers of fresh produce who sell direct to the public please let me know!

UPCOMING NSW FOODIE EVENTS