The kohlrabi that we received in our CSA basket last week could have fed an army, I’m not kidding!  I was completely bowled over by how monstrous it was, and I must admit, I was a bit fearful of how it might taste.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE kohlrabi…it’s just that I’m used to smaller varieties (like the ‘Early Purple Vienna’ ones I’m vainly attempting to grow in my own veggie plot).

My modest go at kohlrabi…

…versus The Brute.

I actually contacted the grower of this gargantuan beast to see what type it is, but I caught her right in the middle of harvest-time and she couldn’t recall exactly what she had planted so many months ago.  I am guessing that this is ‘Gigante’ (aka ‘Superschmeltz’) – if anyone out there can confirm, please let me know!  🙂

My worries that the supreme size of the veggie would render it tasteless and woody were completely unfounded – it was just as sweet as any other kohlrabi I’ve ever eaten.  I cooked it up with fresh carrots and some fresh basil (also courtesy the CSA), using a slightly modified version of this fantastic recipe, found on Food to Eat and Fill Your Soul.

Of course, my hubby and I ate it as a main course for two days running.  Luckily, it was so yummy it wasn’t a slog to get through even as leftovers!  (Well, okay, my husband, the avowed Meatatarian, may disagree a teensy weensy bit.  But I really enjoyed it!).  🙂

I’ve had great success with kohlrabi as microgreens, grown indoors or out – they usually germinate quickly and evenly, and the cabbagy taste of the tiny leaves is a great flavour addition to mixed green salads.  (Not to mention, the purple types have great foliage colour!).  On the other hand, I’m not having a ton of luck with the kohlrabi I’m growing for the “bulbs” (botanically not bulbs at all, but rather swollen stems).  I originally grew a mess of kohlrabi microgreens in my veggie plot and selected three sturdy-looking plants to hopefully bring to maturity – I don’t have a lot of room and three was all I could sacrifice space for.  (Although I must say, the plants don’t take up much real estate; they’re not like cabbages or broccoli that way).  Out of the three, only one is “bulbing.”  This is my first year growing kohlrabi, but it looks like I’ve done them wrong by not feeding them sufficiently.  Like most brassicas, kohlrabi are heavy feeders and mine could have benefitted with a few substantial shots of liquid kelp throughout the growing season.  Apparently, they require a great deal of moisture as well, and although I’ve been maintaining a regular watering schedule, it may not have been sufficient for my plants during our hot, dry summer.

Have you ever grown kohlrabi?  Do you have any great tips for success?  Please share!  🙂

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