Kohlrabi Salad

 
A ‘Waldorf Salad’ it nearly is..

It’s easy to forget that ‘old classics’ are classic for a reason, love them or hate them, a rise to popularity and food fame came from somewhere, generally because they tasted really good! Waldorf Salad is one such classic. It is a dish of contrasting harmony. Bitter and sweet, soft and crunchy, all wrapped up in a glossy emulsion to soften the edges. 

Kohlrabi has all these qualities with very little needed from other ingredients, it is three vegetables in one. The main event is of course the globe, a crisp, soft and sweet vegetable. It doesn’t end there, the stems are fibrous and ever so slightly bitter, thanks to its relation to radish/mustard. Then the leaves are a firmer spinach, akin to red Russian kale. 

There we have it, celery, apple and leaves all from one vegetable. Finish with a tannic crunch from walnuts and wrap it in a light mayonnaise. Summer salad perfection, a classic in waiting.


Serves 6 as a side or 4 as a main
Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 SLF kohlrabi
a dash of apple cider vinegar
A three finger pinch of salt
A generous handful of walnuts
Half a teaspoon of honey
Mayonnaise to bind
Lots of fresh ground black pepper


1.                Begin by preparing the vegetable. Snap off the stalks with their leaves, then trim the bottom to remove the very woody intersection and cut the leaves off. Slice the stems and shred the leaves. Lightly dress with apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt, then leave to soften in a bowl.

2.               Toast a handful of walnuts (as many as you enjoy) until they become fragrant, then break up into chunks. 

3.               Remove the tough bottom of the kohlrabi and peel the globe before cutting into batons. 

4.               Mix the nuts, batons and honey with the marinating leaves and stem. 

5.               Season with lots of black pepper and bind with mayonnaise. 

Serve with a summer BBQ or enjoy as it is.


Chef Notes:
1.                Instead of mayonnaise, a Greek yoghurt with a light drizzle of rapeseed oil is a lovely alternative.
2.               The honey is not always necessary if the kohlrabi is field fresh and still bursting with sun. Add as much or little as you enjoy 

Robin Popham
Chef at ‘Create Terroir’ and Sandy Lane Farm veg box customer