KohlrabiKohlrabi is one of those funny-looking vegetables most people don’t know quite what to do with. It’s been showing up in the Los Poblanos box lately, and at the Downtown ABQ growers’ market this week. It’s a brassica, and needs cool weather to grow, so it’s in season now, or later in fall. And, as you might expect, it’s milder and sweeter now and stronger in the fall.  The bulbous root is what most people eat, but the greens are also edible. Kohlrabi tastes best if you cook it either a lot or not at all – roasted until it caramelizes, or raw in salad or slaw.

I’ve also been looking for new ways to use eggs, since we recently got 3 adorable chickens. I think the fresh eggs really do taste better, so it’s worth looking for them at growers’ markets.

This dish has a fantastic mixture of the three – kohlrabi, greens, and eggs – the flavors are big and bold.

It’s based on a dish I saw in Sunset magazine by Jeremy Fox of Ubuntu restaurant in Napa, CA. The only problem was, it took 3 1/2 hours from start to finish! In the original recipe, the eggs are roasted, but they come out pretty much like hard-boiled eggs. (If you want a really great roasted egg, you have to cook it for about 5 hours, and the whites turn a rich brown.) Here’s my modified version using boiled eggs, it only takes one hour:

 

 6-8 smallish (2-3 inches in diameter) kohlrabi bulbs

1 bunch kohlrabi greens and/or any other greens, stems removed, leaves sliced into thin ribbons

4 eggs

1/4 C. + 2 T.  olive oil

2 t. mustard seeds

2 bay leaves, crumbled

1/4 C. water

2 T. sherry vinegar (or just use cooking sherry + cider vinegar)

1-2 T. honey, to taste

1/4 t. salt

1 T. prepared mustard

Peel the kohlrabi (the skin is extremely tough) and cut them in 1-2 inch chunks. Toss with olive oil in a baking pan, and cover with foil. Roast at 450F for 40 minutes or until tender, turning every ten minutes after about 20 minutes.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the mustard seeds and let them sizzle until they begin to pop. Add the greens and bay leaves and turn to coat with oil. Add the water, sherry vinegar, honey and salt. Do NOT add liquids to the pan before adding the greens, otherwise hot oil will splatter all over your kitchen! Cook until greens are thoroughly wilted and tender, adding more water as necessary to keep them from burning.

A word about the greens – the first time I made this recipe I used endive from Vida Verde farm. I loved it, but it was seriously bitter, so if you’re ready for some intense flavor, go for it! Kohlrabi greens and collards (like endive) can be very tough if you don’t cook them long enough. Kale is a bit more forgiving. The original recipe calls for sorrel, which hardly needs any cooking at all, so if you do use sorrel just turn off the heat once you’ve added all the ingredients.

While the greens are cooking, put the eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes, then boil them until they are almost hard-boiled (about 5 minutes up here at 5000 feet). Crack all over and drop into cold water to cool before peeling. Chop the eggs into quarters, and toss with the kohlrabi and greens. If you love mustard like I do, add the prepared mustard as you toss. If you like things a little subtler, leave it out. Enjoy!

Blogger Amy White is totally obsessed with vegetables and  fruits. Amy can be found every Friday right here, and on her blog, www.veggieobsession.blogspot.com .


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