Kohl Rabi
The Kohl Rabi looks like a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. They have a mild and fresh tasting flavour, it is neither as peppery as a turnip nor as distinctive as a cabbage, but it is easy to see why people think it is a little like both.
Preparing – peel the skin with a knife and the slice.
You can par-boil them and bake in the oven covered with cheese sauce or cook long and slow in a gratin dish, with, for instance potatoes as a variation to the classic Gratin Dauphinous. It is also good chopped in stews or roasted.
Kohl Rabi Salad
Serves 4
1 Kohl Rabi
2 carrots
1 apple
Juice of one lemon
100g peanuts
3 tbsp mustard seeds
3tbsp olive oil
Peel and grate the kohl rabi, wash and grate the carrots and apple. Mix with the Lemon juice and add the peanuts.
Fry the mustard seeds in hot oil until they begin to pop. Pour the seeds and oil over the salad and mix well.
Braised Kohl Rabi with Parmesan
Serves 2 as a side dish
1 tsp butter
1 kohl rabi, peeled and cut into thin strips.
1 tsp crushed garlic
200ml vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan
Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the kohl rabi and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, add the stock, bring to the boil. Cover the pan, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the kohl rabi is tender. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve sprinkled with the grated parmesan.
Root Veg and Bean Stew
Serves 4
1 Medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic,peeled and crushed
3 medium carrots
2 Medium potatoes
1 Kohl Rabi
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tin chopped tomatoes
500ml water + vegetable stock cube
200g butter beans or cannelloni beans (cooked)
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp tomato puree
Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Heat the oil in a large pan. Gently sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Scrub the carrots and slice into ½ cm chunks. Peel the kohl rabi and potatoes and cut in 1 cm cubes. Add the carrots, kohl rabi and potatoes to the pan. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree , thyme and stock and stir well. Add the beans and stir.
Pour into an oven-proof casserole dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice or baked potatoes and warm crusty bread.