What To Do With The Big Lump Of KOHL In Your Stocking

At Christmas, and anytime of year, I just love the surprise of opening presents. Because, really, who doesn’t?!

When it is finally your turn, you just can’t wait to tear open that box and see what is inside…

The thrill of the suspense is hard to resist, that’s for sure!

With the holidays around the corner, the joy of gifts is upon us!

You must have heard of getting a lump of coal in your stocking…

Well, when I was a kid, we actually had this little canister of coal that would show up in someone’s stocking every year as a joke.

I’ll tell you a little holiday secret…

Next week, the Winter CSA is going to get a big lump of KOHL in the Christmas version of their farm fresh “stocking”...

Kohl? Yep, and by that I mean, KOHL-rabi!  (And by stocking, I mean Winter CSA #4!)

And that’s why I wrote this post!

One reason our members LOVE their CSA farm shares so much is that you get that same thrill of the unknown nine months out of the year…

“Ooooh, it’s just like Christmas every time I open the box!”

So many people say this, new and returning members of our CSA farm share program.

And even though kohlrabi is likely new to many, once our members TRY it they wonder why they’d never had it before because they love it!

Here are some awesome ways to do that, just in time for the holidays! Merry Christmas to you!

What is kohlrabi?

Kohlrabi is a member of the “brassica” family, aka it’s in the cabbage and broccoli family. It is not a root. It is not a bulb. It is technically the swollen part of the stem of the plant and looks quite like an alien when harvested!

It is a great storage crop that can be grown in the fall for late harvest and storage deep into the winter months.

Why try kohlrabi?

• It’s crunchy, sweet, and mild flavored.
• It’s a low-carb alternative to potatoes. (What??)
• It’s a new fun thing that gets you expanding your veggie palette!

How on earth do I prepare it?

The trick to loving kohlrabi is to know how to prepare it. It has a woody section on the bottom that you’ll want to chop off. And the skin is very tough and inedible so you’ll want to remove that, too.

1. Rinse your kohlrabi and identify the “bottom” end where the woody stub of the stem comes out.
2. Chop 1-2” off of the bottom end and discard.
3. Peel ALL THE WAY down to the crisp white flesh inside, discarding the tough peel.
4. Chop the remaining white flesh according to desire.

Store leftover cut kohlrabi in a way that preserves moisture and prevents drying out. Good options include in a plastic bag, with plastic wrap, in a plastic lidded container, or using my newfound non-plastic friend: Bees Wax Wrap.

Awesome ways to use up that big lump of KOHL-rabi

Kohlrabi may be big and intimidating. I get you! When it shows up in your “stocking” you may simply be stumped for what to do with it.

#1 Eat your kohlrabi raw!

Right now, I just love the crunch of kohlrabi raw. It is so satisfying this time of year when we’re out of cucumbers on the farm. I’ve taken to using kohlrabi and getting that same satisfying crunch!  Try this simple idea:

kohlrabi sticks
Think carrot sticks, but with kohlrabi!  It's so mild that it will go with just about any kind of dip.  Here are some great options:

1. With a home made DIP!  Check out this blog post for my favorite homemade dip recipes.
2. With peanut butter!  What??  Yes I'm serious!  Try it!  Delicious!
3. With your favorite salad dressing!  Easiest choice.  Pull out whatever dressing you already have in the fridge to dip your kohlrabi sticks into.  Ranch or whatever you have will work!

Or visit our website's Vegetable Gallery of Recipes page for Kohlrabi to find these other great raw options:

• Kohlrabi Slaw
• Kohlrabi and Apple Salad
• Fermented Kohlrabi and Carrots

#2 Eat your kohlrabi cooked!

Not into raw veggies?  Cook your kohlrabi!  And I believe the following recipe is the hands down most easy and tasty way to enjoy kohlrabi cooked.  PLUS the leftovers can be easily used the next day for breakfast.  Try it!

Basic Roasted Kohlrabi Cubes

This is a great way to decimate your kohlrabi in your fridge and have easy reheatable leftovers for meals later.  The roasting literally shrinks it down as it removes water and enhances flavor!

• kohlrabi
• onions, sliced (optional)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• dried or fresh herb, to taste (thyme is good here)

To prep the kohlrabi:
Cut 1-2 inches off of the butt end of your kohlrabi.  Discard.  Peel it using a knife or peeler all the way down to the white flesh beneath the green skin.  Get all of the green bits off that you can.  Chop into cubes (3/4" is good, as kohlrabi takes a while to roast).

To roast:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss kohlrabi cubes with optional onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional dried or fresh herb.  Lay in single layer on baking sheet and roast until tender.  This may take as long as 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on size of cubes.  Stir a couple of times in between to prevent uneven roasting and/or sticking.

To serve:
Either serve hot right out of the oven or refrigerate for reheating (what I do often).  To reheat, heat skillet with butter on medium heat.  Add roasted kohlrabi cubes and saute until warmed through.  Enjoy!

Or visit our website's Vegetable Gallery of Recipes for Kohlrabi for these other great cooked options:

• German Kohlrabi Saute
• Kohlrabi Mushroom Soup
• Kohlrabi Au Gratin

#3 Eat your kohlrabi as a substitute!

Kohlrabi is mild-flavored and is kinda like cauliflower in that it is (1) white fleshed like potatoes or rice, and (2) it can be mashed or added into dishes like potatoes satisfactorily without the carbs of a potato.  Here are just some examples of how I or other CSA members have used kohlrabi as a substitute.

Pureed Kohlrabi (as a substitute for Mashed Potatoes)

You can also add garlic and/or parlsey or another herb to this to change the flavor! 

• 4 cups kohlrabi, peeled and chopped
• 4+ tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup cream (or to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of ground nutmeg

Steam kohlrabi until very tender, about 20-30 min.  Cool and puree in food processor.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Put in saucepan and stir 2-3 min. on medium heat to melt butter and cook off any remaining liquid.

Or try these basic ideas for substituting kohlrabi:

• Put chunks of kohlrabi into stews and soups instead of potatoes.
• Puree cooked kohlrabi and add to soups to thicken them instead of starch or dairy.