This under-rated vegetable adds a wonderfully sweet flavor to dishes along with marvelous texture: juicy and crunchy. The flavor is comparable to cruciferous vegetables. Here, Chef Jamie Simpson uses kohlrabi in three different ways to highlight its versatility.
At the Bar: Kohlrabi Crudite
Crudites come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In this arrangement, we use kohlrabi and other similarly sized root vegetables, compressing them in water. Then, you can simply serve them like chips and dip! Kohlrabi, by the way, isn’t a root vegetable. Instead, it’s a swollen stem, like a radish—moisture rich and full of flavor.
Fine Dining: Kohlrabi Custard
Kohlrabi Custard. Apple Brunoise. Mint.
It doesn't take much to turn this extra terrestrial vegetable into an extra terrestrial vessel. The kohlrabi, as it stands, lends itself to inspiring modern art in contemporary tabletop. If any of you can make this out of porcelain, please do and send photos to the Culinary Vegetable Institute, c/o Jamie Simpson.
Country Club Dining: Pork Loin With Kohlrabi
At one point, kohlrabi was referred to as the “poor man’s apple”—and the reality is that it’s as versatile as an apple. Kohlrabi is great raw. It’s great when roasted.
In this dish, we bring the two applications together. The ingredients? Pork loan and kohlrabi along with crab apple, onion, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Easy and delicious!
More About Kohlrabi
The incredible kohlrabi is available in a range of hues:
Experiment with and enjoy the subtle differences as you create your own kohlrabi masterpieces.
We hope you enjoyed this installment of plating food techniques!