Category Archives: Sides

Kohlrabi slaw

I needed to find something tasty to do with the purple kohlrabi I got in week 1 of my CSA share. If you don’t know what kohlrabi is, check it out on good ol’ wikipedia. They can be purple or green on the outside, but are white on the inside. I think they taste a bit like radish or cabbage, but with the texture of a turnip.

A few years ago a coworker gave me a recipe for coleslaw with poppy seed dressing, and I decided to adapt it for my kohlrabi. It’s really good with cabbage too!

Kohlrabi slaw
Source: Coworker
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients
1/2 Tablespoon canola oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 kohlrabi, peeled and shredded
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Heat 1/2 Tablespoon of oil on medium high. Add carrot and onion and saute until starting to soften.
2. Add kohlrabi, cider vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, and salt. Saute for another minute or so. Can be served warm or cold.
3. Enjoy!


Delish!



Kale salad

My CSA partner was kind enough to give me all of the kale this week so I decided to make this kale salad. I found this recipe in Runner’s World magazine circa 2009, courtesy of Chef Dan Barber. And yes, I’ve been to Dan Barber’s restaurant in NYC (Blue Hill), and yes, it is amazing.

The original recipe calls for raw Tuscan kale, but since I usually get “regular” kale, I use that instead and saute it a bit. It also calls for dried currants, but I usually substitute dried cranberries (this week I used dried blueberries). I also often use pecans instead of pine nuts.

I discovered kale chips last year, so that has probably become my favorite thing to do with kale. That makes this recipe my second favorite kale recipe…so I hope you enjoy it!

Kale salad
Source: adapted from Runner’s World, December 2009
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons dried cranberries (or currants)
6 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bunch kale, center ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted (or other nut)
Parmesan cheese shavings

Directions
1. Place the cranberries (or currants) in a small bowl; add five Tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar. Let them soak for at least one hour or up to overnight. Drain the cranberries (or currants). (I don’t usually do this if I’m using cranberries).
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in pan and lightly saute kale until wilted. (This step not needed if using raw Tuscan kale).
3. Whisk the remaining 1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and rice vinegar, honey, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Add the kale, cranberries, and pine nuts; toss to coat. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese shavings over salad.
5. Enjoy!

Sauteed kale

The finished salad

Tzatziki

I had some extra dill from last week’s dilly cucumber salad, so this week I decided to make tzatziki. This is a great basic recipe that can be modified to suit your tastes. I prefer it more dill-y and less mint-y, so I only used about a 1/2 tablespoon of mint.

If you use Greek yogurt, you probably don’t need to bother with the cheesecloth. I did strain it, and there wasn’t much liquid that drained off. However comma, it is important to squeeze as much liquid as possible from the shredded cucumber (which I did not bother to peel).

I like it as a dip with pita chips, or instead of mayonnaise on sandwiches or wraps.

Tzatziki
Source: adapted from The Food Network (courtesy of Molyvos Restaurant)

Ingredients
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 large English cucumber, peeled, shredded and drained
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 Tbsp mint, chopped
1 Tbsp dill, chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Prepare the yogurt: Line strainer with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Bowl should support strainer so it does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Put the yogurt in the strainer loosely covered, and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator. Discard the liquid and use the strained yogurt as directed.
2. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight before serving. Enjoy!