Those Unusual Vegetables

Looking over the photos from recent classes, I realize that January was all about the flavors, textures, and goodness of fresh, zesty vegetables: carrots, watermelon radishes, celery, cucumbers, kohlrabi, kale, broccolini, parsley, scallions, turmeric, onions, ginger.... It was a veritable vegetable delight, with quite a few less common vegetables taking a turn on the stage.

Watermelon radishes and red onions get ready for kohlrabi salad

Cookbook author Andrea Chesman blogged about the Kale Three Ways class she taught for us a couple of weeks ago. Reading her post, you feel that sense that cooking can be really fun, rather than a chore - even when it comes to vegetables!

And speaking of fun, I thought it would be neat to highlight a couple of the more unusual vegetables from our recent cooking classes.

The Vegetarian Cooking Class we offered at the beginning of January was one of our most popular classes to date, so we will be offering another one in April. January also saw a class taught by one of our Produce department staff on Winter Dips and Slaws.

Check out Andrea's post on her blog Roots and Leaves for some great kale cooking tips, and then read on about some of the lesser known vegetables we cooked with below.

BROCCOLINI - Vegetarian Cooking Class

Broccolini is similar to broccoli but with longer, thinner stalks and a milder taste. The stalks are tender and edible, with a taste somewhat like asparagus. It's not young broccoli, like many people think, but actually a hybrid of broccoli and a Chinese vegetable in the broccoli family. Use it the way you would broccoli or asparagus, especially in stir fries.

We lightly steamed it and tossed it in a salad with olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan. It was delicious.

KOHLRABI - Winter Dips and Slaws

Kohrabi is also in the brassica family, but coaxed to maximize a juicy, crunchy, and quite plump stem! It looks a little like a turnip growing aboveground, which may be how it got its German name: Kohl - cabbage; Rabi - turnip. It can be eaten raw or cooked. 

You're going to want to slice off the peel, which can be a little woody, to reveal the almost apple-like vegetable beneath. Grate or slice for salads.

We made Kara's kohlrabi salad with strained Butterworks Farm yogurt. Greek yogurt would also work. The thick, tangy strained yogurt made this salad filling and a meal in itself.

TURMERIC - Winter Dips and Slaws

Perhaps no vegetable is gaining as much popularity as turmeric right now. The bright-orange rhizome, which hails from warm, tropical places, is singularly flavorful, colorful, and good for you - quite the anti-inflammatory vegetable, or so they say. That may be why it shows up in cooking from India and the Himalayas to Southeast Asia and Africa. We most commonly see it in dried form, but for a month or two each winter, we have it fresh.

Chopped or grated, it lends its golden color to our staff favorite, Turmeric-Tahini dip. This stuff freezes well, too!

Recipes

Broccolini Salad

1 bunch broccolini
¼ cup diced red onion
2 carrots, shredded
1 tsp. sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 cup diced apple (1 apple)
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
1/3 cup sesame seeds

Trim ends of broccolini stems and chop into 1-inch pieces. Lightly steam for 1-2 minutes until bright green. Strain and rinse with cold water. Combine broccolini in a salad bowl with remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning. Endless variations!

Kohlrabi Salad

1 32-oz container Butterworks yogurt, strained; or about 2 cups Greek yogurt

1 large kohlrabi, or 2-3 smaller ones (about 3 pounds)
1 carrot
1 watermelon radish
1 medium onion (yellow or red, depending on preference)
4-5 scallions
1/2 tsp. chili flakes, or 3 tsp. hot sauce of choice
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. turmeric-tahini dressing (optional)

To strain the yogurt, pour the whole container into a sieve lined with a cheese cloth or clean dish towel.  Place sieve over bowl, and cover the yogurt with the rest of the cloth.  Place a small plate with a can on top of it on the yoghurt, and put in fridge to strain.  Let strain at least 2 hours or overnight.

Peel the kohlrabi, and finely chop kohlrabi, carrot, watermelon radish, onion and scallions; or optionally grate the roots and finely chop the onion and scallions. Combine in a bowl with other ingredients.  Adjust saltiness and hotness according to taste. You can add some of the leftover whey from the yogurt if you like the slaw a little thinner. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes 6-8 servings.

Turmeric-Tahini Dip