Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw

When I purchased my current home 18 years ago, I walked onto the property and immediately one of my next door neighbors, Bob, came out to greet me. After exchanging names and the typical “welcome to the neighborhood”, Bob let me know that because of a quirk of fate, a very small part of my yard was inside his fence. I have a detached garage that sits behind my house and pretty much right on the property line. Years ago, Bob had put a small chain link fence around his back yard and when it came up to the garage it was ended at the front of the garage (which was done with full permission of the current owner). In reality, the fence should have continued along the length of the garage, leaving a 2′ strip of land between the fence and the garage. I told Bob that it was no problem for me andif he could get use out of the space and I didn’t have to take care of it, I was happy for it.

Bob, and his wife Carole, had made use of the space. That was the back several feet of a garden they tended to every year. Because they are such great neighbors, and I think because Bob wanted to pay back the use of the space, we have been the occasional beneficiary of some produce coming over the fence. Tomatoes and peppers were the most common. One day I saw Bob out in the yard and during the chat he asked if I liked kohlrabi. kola-what? I hadn’t heard of it before. I guess I wasn’t alone in that as in 2012 the New York Times has this mini-quiz about the veggie. The article was called Discovering Kohlrabi (It’s a Vegetable).

1. Where does the name kohlrabi come from, and what does it mean?

A. An African word meaning “ugly root.”
B. A Middle Eastern word meaning “little cabbage.”
C. A German word meaning “cabbage turnip.”

2. In his book “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” the nutritionist Jonny Bowden describes kohlrabi as:

A. The ugliest vegetable you’ve ever loved.
B. What happens when broccoli and cabbage get married.
C. A cross between an octopus and a space capsule.

3. In her latest Recipes for Health, Martha Rose Shulman suggests making what with kohlrabi?

A. Pie.
B. Home fries.
C. Both of the above.

The answer to every question is C. When Bob handed me one it did look like a cross between an octopus and space capsule. The key is to cut away the outside until you get to the center.

Kohlrabi pairs extremely well with apples and is great for this German-syle slaw.

Here you can see the kohlrabi with the many stalks removed.

Next to a peeled apple.

Making the dressing.

A sweet and tart slaw with a lot of crunch.

Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw

Prep Time: 15 min | Makes: 6

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and grated
• 4 apples – peeled, cored, and diced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and sugar together in a bowl.

2. Toss kohlrabi and apples together in a large bowl; pour mayonnaise mixture over kohlrabi mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Info:

Nutrition Amount Per Serving (6 total) Calories 204 cal 10% Fat 10.2 g 16% Carbs 29.1 g 9% Protein 2.9 g 6% Cholesterol 8 mg 3% Sodium 330 mg 13% Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Source: http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/223039/kohlrabi-and-apple-slaw