kohlrabi

It's always interesting to get our organic produce box and discover vegetables that we've never seen and tried before like this kohlrabi which comes in green and purple varieties. I think the purple color is beautiful and the way the stems come out and extend from the sides makes it very unique.

We first tried them raw, simply cut into matchstick-size strips, in a salad along with carrot strips, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and romaine as shown above and below. The kohlrabi can easily take the place of crunchy jicama or radish. It has a mild taste similar to cabbage. It's often described as a cross between cabbage and parsnip. I also tried to cook it with ground pork and scrambled eggs as a filling for fresh spring rolls wrapped in Vietnamese or Thai softened rice paper. It made a perfect substitute to water chestnuts which are most often used for additional texture and flavor in Asian cuisine.