Versatile vegetable good in everything from salads to stir-fry

 No comments  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

Every other Wednesday throughout the summer, Savor offers a taste of something awaiting you at the Saturday morning Haymarket Farmers Market.

By Michael Bruntz

Some will say the best kohlrabi is picked when the edible portion of the stem gets to be about the size of a baseball. Others will wait longer before pulling the awkward-looking vegetable from the soil.

Sue Miller says either way works.

"Some people like big ones, some people like smaller ones," said Miller, owner of Grandview Farms in Fremont. "They say only the little ones are good, but that's not true. It's really personal preference."

Kohlrabi, a turniplike member of the cabbage family, is known for its crisp texture and taste that resembles a sweet turnip. The vegetable is popular in Asia and Europe and can be eaten raw or used as a substitute for water chestnuts in stir-fry or in a variety of other dishes.

Miller grows a mixture of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and tomatoes, but kohlrabi is one of the easiest to maintain, she said. The plant takes a little over a month to mature before the stem is ready to be picked.

In the field, the vegetable grows just above soil level with the leaves protruding at weird angles. The root is the only part of the plant below ground, and Miller removes it along with the leaves before she takes the kohlrabi to the Farmers Market.

She said the plant needs little attention beyond watering and weeding.

"Some people said they're hard to grow, but if you can do radishes, you can do this," Miller said.

The vegetable has a long growing season, from April to September. Miller said she would be selling kohlrabi all summer unless she was between plantings.

Although there are two common types of kohlrabi, the white variety is typically available at the Farmers Market.

White kohlrabi is covered with a thin green skin that must be removed before eating. Larger kohlrabi can develop a rough texture if not picked quickly enough. When choosing the right one, look for smooth skin that doesn't seem weathered or cracked.

"Sometimes they can get woody if you leave them in the ground for too long," Miller said. "But you can get sizes from small to large, and they're still tender."

She said most customers will use kohlrabi as a substitute in stir-fry, while some shred it like hashbrowns or boil the vegetable like a potato and eat it with a cheese sauce. It also appears with radishes in salads or relish trays.

Raw kohlrabi cuts easily into small pieces and has the crisp consistency of a raw potato or apple.

"A lot of times I'll eat it raw in the field," Miller said.

Kohlrabi is a healthy choice for someone looking to add more fruits and vegetables to a diet.

A half-cup contains about 270 milligrams of potassium and only 24 calories while also boasting more than half the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.

It's also rich in phytochemicals, which doctors believe may reduce the risk of some diseases.

Reach Michael Bruntz at 473-7254 or mbruntz@;journalstar.com.

Savor > Back to Top of Story