Kohlrabi

Cabbage and Kohlrabi salad
From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

1 medium or ½ large kohlrabi
½ white cabbage
Large bunch of dill, roughly chopped (6 heaped tbsp.)
1 cup dried whole sour cherries
Grated zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and white pepper
2 cups alfalfa sprouts

Peel the kohlrabi and cut into thick matchsticks that are about ¼ inch wide and 2 inches long.  Cut the cabbage into ¼-inch-thick strips.

Put all the ingredients, apart from the alfalfa sprouts, in a large mixing bowl.  Use your hands to massage everything together for about a minute so the flavors mix and the lemon can soften the cabbage and cherries.  Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes.

Add most of the alfalfa sprouts and mix well again with your hands.  Taste and adjust the seasoning; you need a fair amount of salt to counteract the lemon.

Use your hands again to lift the salad out of the mixing bowl and into a serving bowl, leaving most of the juices behind.  Garnish with the remaining sprouts and serve at once.
​

Root Vegetable Slaw with Labneh
From Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi
Serves 6

“The labneh can be substituted with Greek yogurt, well-seasoned with some olive oil, crushed garlic, and salt and pepper. It can also be left out altogether, if you prefer to keep it light and simple.”

3 medium beets
2 medium carrots
½ celery root
1 medium kohlrabi
4 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 tsp superfine sugar
¾ cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
¾ cup mint leaves, shredded
2/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
½ tbsp. grated lemon zest
Scant 1 cup labneh (store-bought or homemade)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel all the vegetables and slice them thinly, about 1/16 inch thick. Stack a few slices at a time on top of one another and cut them into matchsticklike strips. Alternatively, use a mandolin or food processor with the appropriate attachment. Place all the strips in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside while you make the dressing.
Place the lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gently simmer and stir until the sugar and the salt have dissolved. Remove from the heat.
Drain the vegetable strips and transfer to a paper towel to dry well. Dry the bowl and replace the vegetables. Pour the hot dressing over the vegetables, mix well, and leave to cool. Place in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
When ready to serve, add the herbs, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the salad. Toss well, taste, and add more salt if needed. Pile onto serving plates and serve with some labneh on the side.

Kohlrabi Home Fries
From nytimes.com

 1 1/2 to 2 pounds kohlrabi
1 tablespoon rice flour, chickpea flour or semolina (more as needed)
Salt to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons canola oil or grapeseed oil, as needed
Chili powder, ground cumin, curry powder or paprika to taste

Peel the kohlrabi and cut into thick sticks, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch wide and about 2 inches long.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet (cast iron is good). Meanwhile, place the flour in a large bowl, season with salt if desired and quickly toss the kohlrabi sticks in the flour so that they are lightly coated.

When the oil is rippling, carefully add the kohlrabi to the pan in batches so that the pan isn’t crowded. Cook on one side until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then, using tongs, turn the pieces over to brown on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. The procedure should take only about 5 minutes if there is enough oil in the pan. Drain on paper towels, then sprinkle right away with the seasoning of your choice. Serve hot. 

Kohlrabi “Carpaccio”
From River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Serves 2

1 medium kohlrabi
1 ounce hard goat cheese
A couple of sprigs of thyme, leaves only, bruised or coarsely chopped
¼ lemon
Canola or extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the kohlrabi and slice them into paper-thin rounds with a vegetable peeler.  Divide the slices among two plates or arrange on a large platter, spreading them out and overlapping them to almost cover the surface.
​
Shave over some goat cheese – again, using the vegetable peeler.  There’s no need to cover the kohlrabi with the cheese: 4 or 5 good shavings per plate is fine.
Sprinkle on the thyme, squeeze over a few drops of lemon juice, and trickle on a little oil.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.