Invasion of the Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi has always baffled me. Honestly, it's the one thing in my CSA box that both looks like it just flew in from an alien planet, and which I have never known how to prepare.

I mean really. Tell me that's not a little terrifying.

Anyway, thanks to Deborah Madison and the New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, I had a kohlrabi breakthrough tonight! The recipe in and of itself was delicious, and is probably the first time I have ever eaten and enjoyed kohlrabi. However, the real breakthrough was Madison's instruction on how to PEEL the kohlrabi. Every other kohlrabi recipe I have ever read has instructed the cook to peel the creature with a vegetable peeler. Maybe other cooks are far more skilled than myself, but this has never been practical for me. The skin is too think, the kohlrabi is too round, and usually I just end up peeling my fingers before giving up on my bulbous target and opting for broccoli instead. 

Nefarious little life forms these kohlrabi are.

Madison, however, showed me a better way. She instructed the cook to peel the kohlrabi with a paring knife, the way you would an apple. BRILLIANT! I had way more success with this method, and I can't believe I didn't think of it myself!

With my kohlrabi safely peeled and every one of my finger tips intact, I was set to prepare my Kohlrabi Gratin with Blue Cheese (pg 244).

Here it is! The genius way to peel kohlrabi. Life will never be the same.

As with any gratin, the veggie must be sliced very thinly. A mandolin will allow you to do this without hating your life. I did not buy my mandolin with this recipe in mind. Truth be told, I bought it back when Paul and I first started cutting processed foods from our diet. I had a hard time giving up potato chips, and I bought this for the express purpose of making my own. I don't make many potato chips anymore, but the mandolin has proved itself to be an indispensable kitchen tool in many ways since then.

The finished product! The sauce in this dish can be milk or cream based. A word of warning should you use milk: it is very likely that by following the recipe directions (which I'm certain were written with cream in mind) you will inadvertently turn your sauce into ricotta cheese. I did this. Ricotta cheese forms when the proteins in milk precipitate due to heat and acid. This recipe provides both those things. I considered throwing the whole thing out and starting over, but decided that ricotta cheese in my casserole would not be such a bad thing. It tasted wonderful, and I enjoyed the texture. However, if ricotta is off putting to you, you may want to use cream instead.

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Everything about this dish screams pear. From the mustard/cole emphasis to the blue cheese to the creamy sauce, pear would seem like the perfect accompaniment to this dish. And it is; you almost need it for the whole thing to work. If you don't like pear because of the texture or because you're a communist, at least try to pair it with a wine that tastes of pear. I would recommend a dry Chenin Blanc or Pinot Grigio. 

So there you have it. This funny little brassica is edible after all. And maybe, just maybe, my garden will be invaded by kohlrabi next year.

***Disclaimer: All representations of Deborah Madison's recipes on this blog are intentionally incomplete. Do not attempt to copy a recipe from this blog. I have intentionally left out critical steps and ingredients to avoid copyright infringement. All recipes should only be attempted when referencing the book in which they were originally published.***