Variety is one of the many pleasures of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription. Compared to the year-round homogeneity of grocery store produce, a weekly CSA basket can mean atypical crops that offer diversion for the home cook and a bit of intrigue for the table.
I recently unpacked my CSA delivery to find a big bulb of kohlrabi, a lesser-known member of the cabbage family. While sifting through some trusty veg-forward cookbooks for inspiration, I landed on one in Clifford A. Wright’s A-to-Z veggie culinary reference “Mediterranean Vegetables” (Harvard Common Press, 2001). The recipe, with origins in Chieti in the Abruzzi region of central Italy, calls for boiling the brassica slices; marinating them in a lemony, olive oil mix; and finally, battering and frying them.
Chieti-style kohlrabi was pleasing, but I prefer minimal intervention with farm-fresh produce. Plus, summer is not my favorite time to stand over a hot stove and deep-fry anything.
The recipe below omits the batter-and-frying steps all together. Once cooked, the kohlrabi is tender yet still firm. After bathing in an olive oil marinade for an hour, it soaks up sunny lemon notes, but stays light instead of being weighted down by batter and frying oil.
Treat this as a side dish or serve as part of an antipasto platter. Baguette slices are lovely for dipping in the lemon-herb oil.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Note: Find kohlrabi at Buford Highway Farmers Market, 5600 Buford Highway, Doraville; 770-455-0770, aofwc.com.
Adapted from “Mediterranean Vegetables” by Clifford A. Wright (Harvard Common Press, 2001).
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