Day 237

Kohlrabi: Today's new food is another find from the Buford Highway Farmers Market's produce section. While I've noticed that it's getting more and more difficult to find new fruits, I still have a lot of ground to cover with vegetables. I usually stick to fruits since they don't require cooking, but when I saw this strangely-shaped bulb near the back of the cold produce wall, I was curious. It reminded me of an alien spacecraft, or maybe one of the Snorks (remember that Saturday morning cartoon from the 80's?). It was pretty cheap per pound, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to take one home.

After doing some research, I was glad to find out that it didn't require cooking at all. A lot of recipes recommended using it raw in various slaws or salads, so I peeled its purple skin and cut a few slices off to try. I had no idea what it was going to taste like, but the flavor instantly reminded me of something I've eaten a million times: cabbage. The texture was more like a radish, and I can see why it's crunchy interior would be great for making slaw if you wanted a break from using traditional white cabbage. Unfortunately, it didn't taste like much on it's own, so maybe I'll try using it in another dish or pickling it.

So, what exactly is kohlrabi? It's also referred to as a "german turnip," and it's in the same family as cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. I'm going to definitely keep more new vegetables in rotation for the blog. I'm rarely disappointed with the results, and I always feel like I'm doing something healthy for myself. I can't survive off meat and bread products alone, even though I wish I could.