Purple Kohlrabi
Estimated Inventory, 12 ct : 0
Description/Taste
A colorful variety of common kohlrabi, stunning lavender to violet globelike bulbs are produced attached to striking green collard-type edible leaves. Random stems protrude from its side. Offering a delicate mustardy flavor, the fairly solid flesh has an apple-like texture. Some describe the taste as a combination of cucumber, radish and broccoli. Often compared to a turnip, this vegetable is much juicier, crispier, sweeter and much more mild. A tasty bonus, the tops can be used as a green.
Seasons/Availability
Purple kohlrabi is available year-round.
Current Facts
Today almost any North American supermarket offers a delicious array of intriguing Asian vegetables. Often "out" for long periods, vegetables, too, are subject to fashion trends only to be rediscovered by creative chefs. Soon the forgotten vegetable springs up in every food magazine and on trendy restaurant menus. This seems to be the case with kohlrabi and it is now gaining the culinary popularity it deserves.
Nutritional Value
Rich in vitamin C, kohlrabi provides a source of potassium, vitamin B6 and dietary fiber. The edible green tops are high in vitamin A. Low in calories, only 24 calories are in one-half cup. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
Sweet, crisp and crunchy, purple kohlrabi makes especially pretty pickles. Making it possible to enjoy throughout the year, these great-tasting pickles love a juicy burger, a hearty sandwich or grilled sausages. Cook like any vegetable or enhance stews and soups with its pleasant bite. Add raw, grated or sliced, to perk up a mixed green salad. Raw peeled sliced rounds or sticks make a crunchy mild appetizer or snack. Steamed and buttered, it is excellent with most meats. Holding up well to spicy preparations, parboil, hollow and stuff with a favorite spicier-than-usual meatloaf; simmer in beef stock; add a final touch of white sauce made with the liquid from the simmering. Sautéed or stir-fried, its assertive flavor responds well to a light sprinkle of basil, nutmeg, marjoram, ginger, shallot or chives. If the leaves are attached, cut off and use within a day or two as a soup seasoning or use as a green. To store, wrap bulbs and greens separately in plastic; refrigerate. Use bulbs within one week. Note: The purple color turns khaki when cooked and purple kohlrabi loses its only skin-deep hue when peeled.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Although some communities value kohlrabi, most Americans have yet to discover its superb flavor. It is one of those vegetables people either love or hate, but those who love it are beginning to outnumber those who don't. The Spanish serve a yummy marinated kohlrabi with anchovies and a bowl of black olives. This delicious vegetable deserves at least two chances to prove itself to the unbeliever.
Geography/History
Two main types of kohlrabi are grown in the United States: purple and white. The white is actually light green and seems to be is more popular even though the purple variety is much more attractive. Kohlrabi, Brassica oleracea variety caulo-rapa, was apparently developed in northern Europe not long before the sixteenth century, although sources vary on this vegetable's beginnings. A description of kohlrabi was first written by a European botanist in 1554. At the end of the sixteenth century, kohlrabi was enjoyed as a food in Germany, England, Italy, Spain, Tripoli and the eastern Mediterranean. Food historians claim it was first grown on a field scale in Ireland in 1734 and in England in 1837. In the United States, kohlrabi was first consumed around 1806, according to historical records. The same as other members of the species, kohlrabi is a biennial meaning it needs two stages of the growing season with a cool resting period known as winter in the middle in order to produce seed.
