Last of the winter veggies: kohlrabi

One of the vegetables I've learnt to love during the many years I've spent in Puglia is kohlrabi, in Italian cavolo rapa and in Bari inexplicably called "crapa d' muert", dead man's head.
It's a lovely green veggie with a wonderful texture when raw - I only eat it raw - which resembles that of a Granny Smith apple: crunchy and very juicy.

The taste is a bit like that of broccoli - same family of this popular vegetable - but sweeter and much more intense.

I love to eat it as a side dish instead of salad, very thinly sliced. To achieve that result I use a mandoline. It's then cut so thinly that the slices naturally bend into gracious curls.
I don't know if the Japanese eat it but taste, texture and curls really make me think of a great accompaniment to Japanese food...

I go for the simplest dressing ever so that I can enjoy the full taste of the kohlrabi at its best: good extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.
That's it.
Less is more.

Comments

[Miss Anne]

Wonderful - here on the other side of the world (Australia) kohlrabi is only just coming into season. During winter I often cook it into soup with bacon and cream - but your salad looks so fresh I will be making that on the days I am longing for summer tomatoes and cucumbers in the dead of winter!

[Nicoletta]

Thank you for your comment, Miss Anne. Looking forward to read your kohlrabi soup recipe! I never used kohlrabi in any other way than raw before, so it would be interesting to try it in another yummy way! :)