20th
Kohlrabi Puree
Yes, it’s that time of year again, when a vegetable that’s been cultivated in the U.S. since the 1800s but never quite caught on rears its purple head once again, stumping even the most ardent vegetable fan. Here’s another idea for it—reminds me of a fantastic cauliflower dish I got addicted to over the winter, but that is not the matter at hand. This would be great as a comfortable mash to set a protein on top of (trout or chicken breast, for instance). I can also see this being good as a rough mash, if you do the pureeing step with a potato masher instead and add the mushrooms afterward.
Ingredients:
- 4 kohlrabi bulbs with leaves
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces mushrooms, quartered (these can be omitted if desired)
- 3 Tablespoons cream (or milk, chicken stock, olive oil, or water)
- salt and pepper to taste
Trim the kohlrabi bulbs, peeling them if the skins seem tough. Rinse the leaves (discarding any that are yellow) pat them dry, and coarsely chop. Set aside. Cut the bulbs into 1-inch chunks.
Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the kohlrabi chunks. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown.
Add the mushrooms and the reserved kohlrabi leaves to the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Then uncover, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated, 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.
Drain the kohlrabi chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor (or use an immersion blender). Add the mushroom mixture and all the remaining ingredients. Purée until smooth.
Transfer the purée to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring, 2 minutes.
Adapted, or really pretty much stolen wholesale, from Farmgirl Fare. Painting by Sharon Lynn Williams.
