Embracing the CSA Reject: Kohlrabi Apple Slaw
Fact: if you’ve ever been in a CSA, you’ve surely gotten kohlrabi.
Now, if you’re thinking a CSA must be some sort of gang or terrible prison camp and kohlrabi a sexually transmitted disease, fear not: you still may be smarter than a fifth grader. I myself had no idea what kohlrabi was until last summer when my friend Jeanette showed up to our tubing trip with a variety of produce from her CSA, including two unidentifiable lumpy green bulbs. We had no idea what to do with it, so we sliced it up, smothered it in rib rub (the only spice in the house) and cooked it with bacon. Delicious, but it wasn’t until we got back and she did a bit of research that we discovered just what we had eaten, and the name was as weird as the plant itself. Kohlrabi! It looks like this:
This year, I finally got around to joining a CSA. I’ve been wanting to for a couple of years now, but always balked at the inconvenient pick-up times and locations. When I heard that Gravel Springs Farms would deliver straight to my office, I was in! While I have certainly been more excited about the haul some weeks than others (strawberries!), overall it’s been great and I always get pumped about my Wednesday delivery! And of course, I’ve been getting kohlrabi.
As tasty as it is with bacon and rib rub, I wanted to come up with some new ways to put my ugly green friend to use, so I did a quick recipe search. The funny thing is that nearly every recipe I found mentioned getting kohlrabi as part of a CSA share and needing to figure out what to do with it. Since it’s in the cabbage family, it makes sense that it would work well in a coleslaw. I like my slaw slightly sweet and not very mayonnaisey, and this was both of those things. It went nicely with BBQ chicken and sweet taters, and I’m sure it would be great with pulled pork!
Kohlrabi Apple Slaw
Adapted from Tide and Thyme
Ingredients:
- 1 large green Smith apple, peeled and shredded/thinly sliced
- 2 bulbs kohlrabi, peeled and shredded/thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
Instructions:
In a large bowl whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar and honey, together. Add the kohlrabi, cabbage and apples. Toss with the dressing to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.
Makes about 3 cups
