Cool cool kohlrabi

easy to peel without a martini

Tonight I experimented with kohlrabi, which I've quickly discovered translates to "sleep in separate rooms." Woo!

First of all, it's really really really good. Second, I couldn't find a resource for ways to peel it. It's such an unfamiliar root, it's hard to figure out how to prepare it. So, I took a before/after picture, in case you're interested. I mean, I might be late to the kohlrabi party, but maybe I'm not the absolute last person to show up.

There's this, like, chewy layer between the peel and the bulb that makes me think of undercooked bamboo--you know, the bamboo that comes in Chinese stir-fries? Only, those bits of bamboo are always coated in the mysterious brown sauce and are never, ever undercooked. So, I guess another comparison would be maybe the fibrous part inside the heart of the artichoke, only less hairy.

Third, it's high in fiber so...um...yeah. Groom is not sleeping in the same room with me.

I'm really excited about this new vegetable...tuber...I don't know what it is. It tastes like a mixture of a mild radish, a tiny bit of turnip, and a hint...just a hint...of pear. I cooked it with some baby kale, based on a recipe I found online, a dish the writer boasted would be a big hit at potlucks, so I knew I was on the correct path.

quinoa, mushrooms, fish, kohlrabi, kale

I went to a potluck back when I was living farther north on the coast in my late 20s, early 30s. A woman walking the buffet in her suffering sweater and long earrings and "Free Tibet" bumper sticker on her butt announced that she had brought the kale ("It's a great source of potassium!") and then just as loudly asked about the macaroni and cheese. "Who brought this?! I'm lactose intolerant."

Without realizing how my voice carried, I said, "Of course you are."

and pistachios

After I got a swat from my friend Amy, I didn't have the heart to then mention that kale interferes with the absorption of calcium. So, that woman is screwed in the osteoporosis battle. Her kale, however? Delicious.

Let's get back to the kohlrabi. I'm so super excited! We had a delicious meal, in less time than it takes to make homemade macaroni and cheese!

That sounded judge-y. Or, maybe, I think it's judge-y because I'm being judge-y. Honestly...smug is a color that looks good on nobody. Except maybe if you're Bono.

honestly it was this good

Anyhooo, today, I did mow the lawn for about an hour for my daily activity and I didn't die. Tonight's meal was mostly local and contained plenty of olive oil but no butter: fish from Plant's Seafood, vegetables from Swango Farm, herbs from our garden, and Ritz Crackers from Brackett's Market.

Heh. I put that last bit in to see if you were paying attention.