Kohlrabi Harvest

Kohlrabi, just before pulling June 16, 2015

      Some vegetables are certainly weird looking in the garden.  Some have never been eaten by more than a handful of veggie buyers.  Some people don't know what part of the veggie they are supposed to eat.  Well, kohlrabi fits all those statements.  The first time I grew it was just to see what it looked like.  It is neat to look at, and delicious to eat.

Entire plant pulled

      So what part do you eat?  The little tennis ball thingie in the middle that actually forms a bulb above ground.  You want to harvest it at this size, because they become woody as they get larger.

Ready for launch

      The Russian rocket scientists who designed the first satellite in space, the Sputnik, stole the design of the earthly kohlrabi.  This baby is ready for launch.
      So how do you eat this thing?  First you trim off the rest of the stems and say good bye to the Sputnik appearance.  If the bulb is tender you can use a veggie peeler to pare off the thin outer layer.  If it is starting to toughen a bit, I just use a paring knife to shave off the thin outer skin.  An apple peeler hand machine would be awesome.  Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked.  Slice the little ball  into 1/8 inch circles.  Cut each circle in half to have two semi circles.  They can now be used like radishes, but without a kick.  Great on a cut veggie platter, or for dipping in your favorite veggie sauce.  The semi circles are great for stir fry or for addition to soups.
       Kohlrabi is becoming more popular in the gardening scene, and I actually purchased mine as a nine pack of starter veggies at Home Depot this spring for $3.44 for the pack.  And one better than a Model T, you can actually get them in white or purple.  If you start seed in early July, you should have an even better fall harvest of this member of the cool weather veggies of the cole group.
      Say bye bye to this one, as he is invited to dinner tonight.