by Francesca Patterson

I had never seen or heard of Kohlrabi until my first day at Norman’s. They look like these purple and green turnip-apple-cabbage things, I was completely perplexed by them. Kohlrabi came to us from Germany and is a relative of cabbage, broccoli, and kale. To be honest, I had been kind of ignoring them at the market until a customer asked me the other day what they tasted like and I drew a harsh blank. I knew right away that I had to grab a bunch to finally try. I figured I would mix them with one of my favorite seasonal crops, beets, for the first recipe with them. The beets from Norman’s this week were spectacular and just got better as I began to peel them for this recipe. I learned they are a variety called Candy-cane or Italian heirloom beets. The name Candy-cane beet seems more accurate since they have intense stripes of dark pink and white under the skin. Mixed with just a dash of sugar and some apple cider vinegar, these harvests made for a beautiful and refreshing summertime slaw. The kohlrabi turned out to be similar to a radish in taste, however milder and slightly sweeter. It holds up as a red cabbage would, and can be enjoyed cooked as well as raw. This is an ideal side for chicken or fish and is an excellent option to make for a barbecue or pool party since it is served cold and can be made in large quantity. Refrigerate for leftovers and keep for up to 3 days.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 small beets, or 1 large beet (peeled, shredded) 
• 3 small kohlrabi, or 1 large kohlrabi (peeled, shredded)
• 2 carrots (peeled, shredded)
• 2-3 spring onions (chopped)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon of sugar 
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS