Kohlrabi

I do love a challenging new ingredient, a novelty or an oddity every now and then but I know what everyone eats day in and day out are veggies that are flavorful and easy on the palette. I have found kohlrabi to be both. The texture is crisp and snappy and the flavor is slightly broccoli-ish. Turns out this little  green or purple garden weirdo is mild and very versatile. It likes to stand in for grated cabbage or broccoli in fresh slaw and is lovely shaved over a salad of tender greens and say, celery. I hear tell that some folks go to the trouble of peeling and cooking kohlrabi much as you might treat a potato or some other starchy root vegetable. But one day when I was out of crackers but had kohlrabi on hand I simply sliced it thinly into rounds an spread it with a fresh, soft goat cheese. It was springy and light and crunchy and refreshing, exactly what food should be as we wander into warmer summer weather