One thing I love about a CSA farm share is that I’m introduced to new ideas for foods I rarely eat. This week I got a second look at the Sputnik like root of the Kohlrabi plant and a latke recipe to go along with it. The modification we needed to make was to substitute in radish greens for the greens of the Kohlrabi because that part of the plant had already been used in a prior dish. The results were fantastic and I have finally learned how to prep this odd looking vegetable.

The key tool to dismantling the defenses of Kohlrabi turned out to be a box grater as recommended in the original recipe provided by Siena Farms. After removing the outer husk, the large holes of the box grater took this root down to a coleslaw like consistency. As she prepped the Kohlrabi, my girlfriend noted how watery the whole mass of shredded slaw felt. This lead to an immediate appreciation for the essential technique of adding some salt to the sliced veggie, letting it sit, and then ringing out the water before forming the latkes.

A little olive oil and medium heat at four minutes per side and these came out perfect. We served it on some braised greens with sautéed shallot and found the mild onion flavor really brought the whole dish together. A simple sauvignon blanc paired nicely.

1 1/2 cups of grated kohlrabi
1 cup of radish leaves, chopped
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

After ringing out most of the water from the shredded kohlrabi, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Form two large latkes and pan fry in olive oil for 4 minutes/side.

Based on original recipe from Ana via Siena Farms.