Photos and text by KARA
DiCAMILLO/ecoRI.org News contributor
Calling all parents — this
week’s recipe is for you. If you try day after day to get your kids to eat
vegetables, I think they’ll try this one. After all, kohlrabi is a cool name
for a vegetable, right?
I have to admit that I had
never heard of kohlrabi until I picked it up at Simmons Organic Farm last week
as part of my CSA. I did a good amount of research about this round-shaped
vegetable and it turns out you can eat it many different ways — raw (like in a
slaw or in a salad), pickled, puréed or stewed. Who knew this turnip-family
root vegetable could be eaten so many ways?
Apparently, the word kohlrabi
is German for cabbage turnip. However, in tasting it raw I would say it’s more
related to broccoli stems rather than a root vegetable. Kohlrabi can be found
in both green and purple varieties, and from what I’ve read online it seems
people just love it. I can understand why. The texture is soft and it’s
extremely flavorful.
I decided to take kohlrabi
and turn it into a kids dish by adding cheddar cheese and fresh herbs from my
garden, similar to a macaroni-and-cheese recipe but without the pasta. For my
herbs, I used chives and parsley, but you can certainly use any others that you
prefer. If your kids don’t like onions, simply eliminate them, but I think the
onion gives it just the right flavor.
Cheesy Kohlrabi with
Fresh Herbs
Serves 4 (as a side dish)
Serves 4 (as a side dish)
2 cups of kohlrabi, peeled
and cubed
1 tablespoon of butter
Quarter-cup of onion, minced
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
Three-quarters of a cup of milk
1 tablespoon of herbs, such as chives and parsley
Half-teaspoon of salt
Dash of freshly cracked pepper
Half-cup of shredded cheddar cheese, with a bit more to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon of butter
Quarter-cup of onion, minced
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
Three-quarters of a cup of milk
1 tablespoon of herbs, such as chives and parsley
Half-teaspoon of salt
Dash of freshly cracked pepper
Half-cup of shredded cheddar cheese, with a bit more to sprinkle on top
Heat your oven to 350
degrees. Cook the kohlrabi in boiling water until it is fork tender and drain.
Then, place it into a small, greased casserole dish. In a small, nonstick pan
melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Once the onions are
tender, blend in the flour and cook until mixture turns a light brown. Add the
milk to create a roux and cook until the mixture is thick, whisking continually,
about 3 minutes.
Once the mixture has
thickened, add the herbs, salt, pepper and cheese, and stir. Once the cheese is
melted, remove the pan from the heat and place the mixture into the casserole
dish with the kohlrabi. Mix until the kohlrabi is evenly coated and sprinkle
additional cheese on top.
Bake the casserole for about
25 minutes, or until it is bubbly and browned. Let it cool for a few minutes
before serving. Enjoy.