I knew last week’s “What Is It Wednesday” was easy, but I had no idea how easy. I really was surprised that so many of you knew what Kohlrabi was. I guess I thought I was the only one that grew up eating it.
I am glad to hear that many of you have tried it and enjoyed it. I loved hearing the different ways that you cook it.
I did receive an email from Daniela that I thought was very helpful and informative.
Dear Lynn,
It is called Kohlrabi, cabbage turnip, stem cabbage, stem turnip, turnip cabbage. I grew up in Germany and we ate them raw as well (you have to peel them though) or you can cook them and serve them with a white gravy, meatballs and potatoes.
Enjoy them!
Thank you Daniela for the information. I had no idea that Kohlrabi had so many different names. I loved hearing how you enjoy serving them. And yes I agree you need to peel them when eating them raw.
I grew up eating Kohlrabi raw and that is the only way I remember eating it. I will admit that it was never my favorite vegetable to eat, but I have not had it in years, so I was willing to try it again with my family.
And after not having it for years, I can still say that it is not my favorite vegetable. My husband and one of my daughters really enjoyed it though. They especially liked it raw and in salad.
I also decided to try cooking it after reading a recipe in a cookbook. I simply sauted it in a little oil with some salt and pepper. I did not cook it for very long at all, just enough to take a little of the crispness out of it. I actually liked the Kohlrabi better cooked. It was not as strong cooked and I liked the flavor better.
I will probably buy Kohlrabi again since some in my family enjoyed it.
I might even try to grow in our garden next year. Can you even grow Kohlrabi in Oklahoma? I guess I need to look into that.
We get tons of it in our CSA box but we are not in OK so I don’t know whether it will work for you. Good luck!
We grew it last year here in Kansas City. I would think you could grow it in OK. Just remember it’s a cool weather veggie, so plant it early in the spring. You might be able to plant it again late in the season for a fall crop, too.
@Annie Jones, Yes, you can grow it in OK. I’m in zone 6a in NW Arkansas and I have successfully grown it here. Like Annie said, plant it early and late, like sweet peas. Yum.
Oh, my husband and daughter literally fight over the Kohlrabi we grow in our garden! I bet we harvested 70 of them last summer and between the two of them they ate every single one of them raw. We have never cooked them and I didn’t even know that was really an option. I will have to hide some next year so we have enough to saute up. Thanks!