Waiter, there’s something in my……Kolhrabi, Fennel and Beetroot Salad
Eating seasonally and as locally as possible is something that is coming more naturally to us nowadays. At first, it was an effort to think of ideas for using up the weekly veg boxes but now they don’t seem big enough (I’ve already moved up one size) and it’s a case of choosing between many ideas, not just thinking of one. Kohlrabi gets such a bad rep and I can sort of understand why as it’s not familiar like a carrot or a potato.
I think the secret to enjoying the kohlrabi is finding your own personal favourite way of preparing it and for me, that means eating it raw. I think it’s good cooked too, but I also think it loses it’s best characteristic, the crisp freshness. This recipe is my new favourite way to eat it raw and grated with other seasonal friends (apples, beetroot, fennel) , all mixed together in a lemony dressing and sprinkled with sesame. This whole salad is uplifting and zingy which is exactly what I need while I wait for warmer weather. The sesame seeds add an interesting bite and the garlic is roasted for more of a mellow, background flavour. This might seem a bit over the top but I just chuck the garlic in if I’m roasting some veggies for lunch the next day, thus taking the hassle out of it. If I’m in the mood however, I’ll roast a load (a couple of heads) and eat it with some good bread, fruit and cheese, as a starter. Simply squeeze the mellowed cloves from their roasting jackets and spread onto bread. That’s another no, no Valentine’s recipe right there.
I’m submitting this as my entry for ‘waiter, there’s something in my…..‘ hosted by Spittoon Extra
Kohlrabi, Fennel and Beetroot Salad
1 medium kohlrabi
2 apples (crisp, juicy ones)
1 small fennel bulb
1 large beetroot
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
A good sprinkling of sesame seeds
For the dressing
3-4 cloves garlic, roasted (The roasting mellows the flavour)
1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard
Juice of 1 lemon (maybe more)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
- Peel the beetroot and kohlrabi and grate both into a bowl. Grate the apples into the bowl too (I didn’t peel)
- Peel any blemished outer leaves from the fennel, slice as thin as you can and add to the bowl
- To make the dressing, squeeze the roasted garlic from their skins and mix to a paste with some salt. Add the mustard and a good grind of black pepper and work into the garlic paste. Add the juice of one lemon and double the amount of extra virgin olive oil. You may need to adjust the quantities until you get a zingy dressing
- Pour over the salad then add some roughly chopped flat leaf parsley and a good sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Category: Blogging Events, Fruit, Gluten-free, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables 9 comments »
February 25th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
This sounds just wonderful! I love all the beautiful color too!
February 25th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
This actually looks good… my husband likes beets, so I’m trying to find ways for me to like them too. I’ll try it sometime in the very near future!
February 26th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I’ve never seen a grated salad with beet, kohlrabi, and fennel. I think it’s a great idea. It probably took some time to grate, but I’m sure it was worth it.
March 1st, 2008 at 10:15 am
Jenn – Thank you for your comment. It does cheer you up just looking at it doesn’t it?!
Jess – Thank you for your comment and your e-mail, I look forward to reading about your variation.
Emiline – It didn’t really take that long to grate – or maybe I am just a fast grater!
March 9th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Not something I’ve ever experimented much with is Kohlrabi – a state of affairs I will have to change to try out your recipe.
Many thanks for the entry.
August 5th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Beets are not for me but it still seems good.
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May 11th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Do you know or have any recipes that include the leaves of the kohlrabi. It seems such a waste to throw them away.
May 11th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Thorn – just use them as you would other greens, the stems are tough but remove any tough parts from the leaves and shred then wilt like spinach or use in bubble and squeak like cabbage.
August 29th, 2009 at 9:35 am
This sounds really good, the combination of apple and sweet vegetables is always a winner. I make a beetroot salad with sesame and beetroot, it’s a good side dish. The beets are stirfried very lightly to soften them a little first. You can see pictures on my blog if you like: http://mangosoup.blogspot.com/2009/08/sesame-beetroot.html