Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Kohl rabi

NOT from Mars...

Kohl rabi (or kohlrabi – from the German for “cabbage turnip”!) is one of those vegetables that makes a regular appearance in veg boxes, but sits, unused, in the corner of the fridge until it slowly goes off.

Sometimes it arrives complete with its alien tentacles, sometimes it’s trimmed. If you’ve never sen one with its tentacles in tact, check out the picture, which was sent to us by Evette who lives in North Florida and has been growing her own since 2008.

Sometimes it’s green, sometimes it’s purple.

Yet this versatile vegetable is easy to cook and a useful addition to many dishes. It’s also a good source of Vitamin C, as well as magnesium and phosphorous, which are useful in the absorption of calcium. And its mild flavour and ability to absorb the flavour of other ingredients in a meal make it an ideal vegetable for bulking up recipes and sneaking in extra veggies.

Bear in mind that kohl rabi is really at its best when “al dente” so don’t over-cook it.

Read on for top tips on buying, storing and cooking, and for a selection of kohl rabi recipes, including two excellent new contributions to the database from The Nearly Naked Veg Company:

• Crunchy Thai Kohl Rabi Salad, and
• Kohl Rabi Curry.