Last year, Alishia Giusto grew green kohlrabi. This year, she and her husband Ian have planted ‘Purple Vienna,’ an heirloom variety with purple skin and a greenish-white interior.
“You have to give most people a reason to buy something exotic like kohlrabi. The green kind looked more like a turnip and our customers said, ‘Why would I eat that when I could eat a turnip?’ We decided to grow the purple variety to draw attention to it as a completely different vegetable,” said Giusto, of Renew Farm in Newnan.
If you’ve never seen kohlrabi, it’s hard to picture. “Sputnik-like” is a pretty common description. A kohlrabi bulb may look like a turnip, but while a turnip bulb is the root of the turnip plant, a kohlrabi bulb is actually an enlarged stem with leaves growing in circles around the bulb. All the parts are edible.
The round swollen stem looks something like an apple and can grow to several inches in diameter. As with many vegetables, the smaller the kohlrabi, the more tender it is. You’ll find it at markets both with leaves and without.
Giusto likes talking to her customers about using kohlrabi as a substitute for those turnips. “Kohlrabi has much more flavor than turnips and it isn’t run of the mill. I think they’re awesome. The leaves are beautiful and I braise them with low-sodium soy sauce or olive oil or garlic. They’re delicious by themselves or added to roasted kohlrabi bulbs. You can toss the leaves and bulbs with any grain, or rice or couscous,” she said.
Last year, the Giustos sold their produce at Our Community Farmers Market in Sharpsburg, at the Downtown Newnan Market and through Farmers Fresh CSA. This year, they’ll be at Newnan’s Our Community Farmers Market when it opens May 1. Renew Farms has restaurant clients, too, like the Cellar in downtown Newnan.
Kohlrabi has only 19 calories in a half cup raw serving and is high in fiber. The Giustos like to sell their kohlrabi on the small side with the greens still attached.
A member of the cabbage family, kohlrabi has a fairly long shelf life. Refrigerated, the bulbs should hold up for about a month. To prepare kohlrabi for serving, cut off the woody base and peel only if the outer layer seems tough. Thinly slice or grate it for salads or slaw, or cut into thicker slices and serve along with carrot and celery sticks on a crudités platter.
At local farmers markets:
Green Market at Piedmont Park now open. Saturdays 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. www.piedmontpark.org
Decatur Farmers Market, Marietta Square Farmers Market and Morningside Farmers Market are open year round.
For sale:
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, dandelion, endive, escarole, fennel, frisee, green garlic, green onions, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, potatoes, radicchio, radishes, rutabaga, sorrel, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash.
From local reports
Jenn Robbins’ Purple Kohlrabi Slaw
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Makes: 6 cups
Jenn Robbins of Avalon Catering created this recipe to showcase colorful purple kohlrabi. It’s just as delicious when made with the more common green variety. Slaw wasn’t Robbins’ only idea for using this vegetable. “I love kohlrabi! It creams beautifully with the greens mixed in, goes great in a potato salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. We also shave it and mix it into chicken salad, use it in our cold weather glazed/scalloped vegetable dish, and I have even seen a peer make kohlrabi kraut,” she said.
2 kohlrabi bulbs with greens (about 2 pounds)
1 fennel bulb, cut into 1/4-inch matchsticks (about 1 pound)
1 apple (Pink Lady or Granny Smith) , cut into 1/4-inch matchsticks
1 small shallot, cut into 1/8-inch dice
3/4t teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1/4 teaspoon Madras curry powder
Remove the outer leaves from the kohlrabi and reserve for cooking with other winter greens, like collards or turnip. Remove the smaller remaining leaves and discard the stems. Cut the greens into 1/8-inch strips and set aside.
Cut the kohlrabi bulbs into 1/4-inch matchsticks.
In a large bowl, combine cut kohlrabi, kohlrabi greens, fennel, apple, shallot and salt. Toss well and let sit for one hour.
When ready to serve, make dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and curry powder.
Drain any liquid that accumulated from kohlrabi mixture. Add dressing and toss. Season to taste with additional salt if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 67 calories (percent of calories from fat, 67), trace protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 150 milligrams sodium.
