Thank Goodness for Google!: by Tina Clinefelter

Today, I’m writing an article on a subject I know nothing about, with the exception of its name – Kohlrabi - a funky, freaky outer-space kind of vegetable, so let’s fire up Google and see what information is available…
First – the name: ‘Kohl’ is the German word for cabbage and ‘rabi’ means turnip; thus we have ‘cabbage-turnip’, and while kohlrabi belongs to the cabbage family it tastes more like a turnip. Very aptly named don’t you think?
Many people mistakenly think of kohlrabi as a root vegetable but in reality the plant produces a swollen stem just above the soil level and this, plus the young leaves are the edible parts. I’m told the flavor is mild and sweet, much like broccoli stems, cabbage hearts or raw turnips, and the texture is crisp and moist.
Most times the vegetable is eaten raw, peeled (if necessary) sliced or diced, and maybe dipped, but I found many recipes for roasting, barbequing, and stir-frying and the leaves may be chopped and added to green salads or steamed like spinach.
Kohlrabi is low in calories, high in dietary fiber, high in potassium and a good source of Vitamins A and C, folic acid and calcium. Yum!
Now for the history lesson – yes, the Romans ate kohlrabi but it was Charlemagne the Holy Roman Emperor, somewhere around 800 AD, who ordered that kohlrabi be grown in his Empire, and as he lived in what is now modern-day Aachen, therefore the German name!
One thing I forgot to mention when buying (or growing) kohlrabi, select or harvest the smaller ones (no bigger than 2 ½ inches in diameter) as the larger ones get woody and fibrous. Kohlrabi has a good shelf life of about 30 days and this piece of information led me to understand how one of our local vegetable gurus could exhibit the same huge kohlrabi in three different local County Fairs and win three times. The judge probably didn’t know it was totally inedible…but really big…
Now, who wants to grow kohlrabi? First, it is a cool weather crop, so spring or fall is the season to try. Setting out transplants is the best way to go, so start seeds indoors four weeks before the last frost date and plant out when they have five leaves. This vegetable prefers a near neutral soil (pH 7) with good fertility and regular watering. Space 4-6” apart. If we get a blistering hot spell in spring shade the plants if possible. Harvest by slicing off at the base when the stems are the size of a tennis ball.
Recipe for roasted kohlrabi:
1 ½ lbs fresh kohlrabi, thick end trimmed off, peeled if desired and diced.
Toss in a bowl with enough olive oil to cover; season with a little garlic powder and salt to taste. Roast in a 450* oven on a jelly-roll pan for 30-35 mins stirring often to prevent burning. Sprinkle with vinegar at the table.
I don’t have a good photo of a kohlrabi but I’ve heard it described as follows:
Imagine a hot-air balloon – the thickened stem is the basket, the long leaf-stems are the wires, and the leaves themselves are the balloon – got the picture?
If not – go to Google!