Discovering Kohlrabi. Chicken Satay. Arusuvai Friendship
>> Saturday, 24 May 2008
While I had seen kohlrabi on many food blogs, I had never seen or heard of it in these parts until a few months ago at Barbados's annual Agricultural Fair, Agrofest. This past week, I managed to get my hands on some from a teacher turned farmer, Phil Perry, whose booth at the fair I spied the kohlrabi. In this week's column, I discuss my observations and tastes of this vegetable in various preparations. If you've seen kohlrabi in your supermarket or farmers' market and never tried it, I encourge you to do so at least once. It is rather versatile and a great flavour absorber.
I made a dhal, the recipe can be found here at Sheela's Delectable Victuals. I followed the recipe precisely and thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
It is also one of those ingredients that can be eaten raw. Next time, I am going to add some cottage cheese to my carpaccio.
Pick the spice or herb or combo of your choice to roast this vegetable and you will be pleasantly suprised.
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I immediately bookmarked Bee's (Rasa Malaysia) first post of chicken satay as a must-try. I then waited patiently like so many others for her to post the peanut sauce and let me tell you, this is a wait that's well worthwhile. It is simply the best I have ever tasted. You've got to try it, and, to make really good satay, do not shorten the time necessary for the meat to marinate in the sauce, you'll be glad you did. You can find the recipe here.
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This week I was thrilled and honoured to be connected to the Arusuvai Friendship Chain through the generosity of a dear friend, Linda of Out of the Garden. I am thoroughly enjoying the collection of lentils that I have received but I regret to announce that all, all of my mystery ingredients were taken away from my package by customs :( they have been sent to the Ministry of Agriculture to be tested and I am not sure that I will get them back, the clerk at the post office intimated as much :( Nevertheless, thank you so very much Linda! :)
The Arusuvai Friendship Chain was started by Latha and her family at The Yum Blog along with Bharathy of Spicy Chilly and Bhags of Crazy Curry.
And finally, this week over at Forgive Me My Nonsense... truer words were never spoken as I do ask your forgiveness.
Guyana's 42nd Independence will be celebrated on Monday, May 26.
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73 comments:
Everything you write about today sounds wonderful. I LOVE satay and I love the idea of Kohlrabi Carpaccio, which is really brilliant. Your pictures are outstanding...as usual.
Hi Cynthia...
Nice spread of recipes... Loved the chicken satay and peanut sauce. That dal looks so good.
I have never had kohlrabi but it sounds interesting. That chicken satay and dipping sauce looks so good!!
You made a beautiful presentation of Kohlrabi. CS's mother grows it in her garden in Germany. I tasted it for the first time raw and it was pretty good. Now you have inspired me to take it a step further. Too bad about the customs confiscation of the spices, etc.
Cynthia, an exciting array of food, the kohlrabi carpaccio is so original!
Oh, I'm so sorry that they took your ingredients! But I'm glad that you've gotten to try Kohlrabi! It's such a kick, and not to be passed up! Of course, yours are much prettier than ours, but we expect that. ;)
I love kohlrabi as it has a very pleasant, refined and delicate flavor! All your dishes look perfect and scrumptious, as usual!
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh no! They took your stuff!:-(
I've never tried cooking with kohlrabi. The purple ones look beautiful!
Kohlrabi is a new one on me. It looks interesting especially roasted with thyme and garlic. The chicken satay looks good, but the peanut sauce looks intimidating.
:-/
Hi Cynthia!
Thanks for writing about kohlrabi.
Last time I ate this good vege in my country - Poland/ few years ago/. And I forget about kohlrabi. It is very good and healthy vege.
I like it raw, but not only.
You have a beautiful site... and yummy!
Have a wonderful, happy weekend!
It is very nice to meet you!
Thank you Cynthia for great links!
Know what... I've not been visiting this site for quite some time, which I think you know why. Today I came back with a word 'wow'. This is really amazing. The pictures are beautiful, the food presentation are awesome!!
What a lot of fantastic looking dishes! Your pictures are great.
I like the chicken satay and sauce!!!
Kohlrabi i have never cooked with but the dishes looks delicious.
And the satay looks super delicious, with the sauce
Cynthia, always seen Kohlrabi in the market but never tried it, your recipes inspire me to try them.bookmarked and will update once I try them
Have a good Independence Day Cynthis...& please stop this torture. It's impossible to ctach up with you, & now find myself bookmarking stuff you've bookmarked. What an amazing spread...you must have got a happy family with kohlrabi & satay in their tummies. maybe I should just par myself in a little corner of your yummy blog, & take a small nibble now & then!!
Cynthia, beautiful fresh kohlrabi, I want to keep looking at it forever. Did you do something with the greens?
Carpaccio looks awesome and with some cheese I may even like these turnipy thingies. Satay... can't talk drooling...
I once substituted turnip in a lamb recipe with kohlrabi, it did quite well. Grate it and temper it with mustard, cumin and black gram, it makes a nice stir-fy too. Hope inspiration strikes you for your magazine article very soon.
I have never heard of this vegetable before Cynthia. It looks so colourful and I bet it tasted as nice as it looks. :-)
Those first photos remind me of flower bouquets. Looking forward to giving this veg a try!
Everything looks so yummy. I love the pictures.
I absolutely love the kohlrabi dhal! The mustard seeds and leaves look so awesome just floating in there :)
Thyme & Garlic roasted Kohlrabi and dal looks awesome ...i must try it soon....
I'm so sorry they took away the things you wanted most, dear Cynthia! Your kholrabi pic is making me want to run out tmo and buy not only kholrabi, but a mandoline as well :)
I've got to get my hands on some kohlrabi! I've never seen it here.
I love the carpaccio.
Dear Cynthia
I love the dal and the peanut sauce is exciting..Can you send over the recipe please :))
yummm..!!! I want to try these now! :P
Looks like you did a great job with the satay!!!
Cynthia...............great spread of culnery expertice dear
Everything looks so good! And I just love trying new vegetables. When I come to your site, I think, "so many recipes so little time."
Of all the recipes, the fried kohlrabi gets my vote.....
Normally chicken kebabs are very dry, but somehow you have managed to keep them moist and plump. With the peanut sauce it can only be a feast.
Chicken Satay looks delicious Cyn... and I've never had kohlrabi either :( You have put it to great use, who else can come up with kohlrabi carpaccio!!!!! :)
Cyn,
Great job on the satay and the peanut sauce.... the photographs on the dishes and the kohlrabi are fantastic as always.
I've never tried kohlrabi tho' I've seen it in supermarkets here. The simple roast with garlic and thyme sounds like a must-try.
Wow...everything just looks amazing!
I love love satay...and with a chunky peanut sauce....divine! You made me hungry :O
Oh my!! So many wonderful recipes and ideas I've been missing due to my absolute lack of time. Moving home in ten months is not just bumping into the plane, you know. My two youngest (1 boy, 1 girl) are leaving too. The boy just left for Spain (for a long term job) and the girl is going to London in August.
I am so sorry for your lentils! it's nearly imposible to get thru customs with any food or ingredients nowadays! I myself have lost a few Chilean nuts on my way thru airports.
Never seen kohlrabi around here, but I'll keep searching, I love to innovate.
Big hug on your yerterday's National Day.
Luv
I love kohlrabi and your pics are just beautiful. Would like some of that peanut sauce too.
I think customs seem to have rules of their own. Letting some things go and not others.
Woww...you made dal? I love kohlrabi. We get this once in a while in our supermarket.
I love satay. Will give it a try sometime soon.
Yummy satay! Just can't get enuff of it. When you have a chance to visit Malaysia do try the authentic ones. The peanut gravy goes very well with nasi impit (pressed rice) that comes together with satay.
Hi Cynthia,
kohlrabi is a new one to me but it does sound interesting. Your chicken satay and dipping sauce looks delicious!!
Rosie x
That's a lot of discoveries! I saw kohlrabi somewhere else recently but I've never seen it in stores. And thanks for sharing your peanut sauce discovery! I've made 3 homemade peanut sauces already and have been fairly disappointed with all of them. I think that one may be a winner! Thanks for sharin!
i'm guessing the customs held up what i sent you too. :(
I have a Malaysian friend who makes chicken satay. I think I should make this for her and suprise her :)
Cynthia, I always learn new things when I come visit you! I need to discover kohlrabi! But that satay and peanut sauce is calling my name!
The chicken satay and peanut sauce look gorgeous. So sad to hear about the package being taken away, hope you get it soon.
I like Kohlrabi but mostly make a gravy based dish out of it, we call it "Olkopi" in bengali :)
Kohlrabi is so underrated. Carpaccio looks glorious.
Hey Cynthia, Nice pics. everything looks really goooood. Awesome post!!!
Kohlrabi is a regular in our home - I was so pleased to read your recipes so that we can widen our repertoire of kohlrabi dishes.
Thanks Cynthia.
Charlotte at Great Big Veg Challenge
Hi Cynthia,
First off, glad you finally found and experimented with the kohlrabi. It is a wonderfully versatile vegertable, and your pictures and recipes for it are outstanding. Roasted and tossed with olive oil, garlic, some fresh herbs and a touch of salt and pepper..........they are fabulous.
Does the kohlrabi taste anything like a turnip?
Or, does it absorb flavors like tofu?
kohlrabi's wonderful! i have my eye on those roasted ones! and chicken satay with peanut sauce--oooo!
Hola Cynthia!
I have never eaten or seen Kohlrabi here... we have smaller red ones called rábanos.
Love all recipes involved in their cooking.. so yummy :D
Chicken Satay looks scrumptious.
I've never had kohlrabi, but I will be looking for it!!
Chicken satay is one of my favorites - yours looks wonderful!
Hi Cynthia,
I don't how I have missed your blog this long, but I'm sure glad I founds it. You're pics are beautiful and your recipes unique (I love the kohlrabi carpaccio). I'm so glad Zlamushka highlighted you this month!
nice recipes. I would also suggest kohlrabi kimchi.
Wow Cynthia, I know kohlrabi from Cyprus but never and I mean NEVER saw it in a recipe before. We only eat it raw with lemon juice as an appetizer. Thanks for telling us about it.
The chicken and peanut dip also look great.
I have never had kohirabi, but looks good.
The kitchen satay looks divine, specially the peanut sauce
oh boy. Satay! it reminds me, i hv to find some in SG before i leave!
This was one veggie amongst a few others that I would pass by in stores like they never existed..looking at this veggie with garlic and thyme makes me want to give it a chance...
Oooh! that dhal loks so good! in fact everything (am a vegetarian so cannot drool over the satay)looks YUMMMMMM!!!
I've never had kohlrabi. Can you believe that? :)
The chicken dish looks like a winner!
these photos are all gorgeous!! chicken satay are my favorite specially the peanut sauce.;yummy! i still have to wait for the next season to have kohlrabi though
CYNTHIA!!!! Hi, finally today (last day) I post a recipe of yours at my Blog in Tried and Taste, Look please at my Blog
www.canelakitchen.blogspot.com
I said to Zlamuska but I don´t know if she see my post!! xxxGloria
Dear cynthia.....
I love kohlrabi too....I have a couple of recipes on my blog on kohlrabi....Its definitely different from usual veggies we eat.
Warm Regards,
Veda
Wow, look at what you have done with this veggie! and I simply love chicken satay with peanut sauce....thanks for posting!
that purple kohlrabi is really lovely. not a gr8 fan of this veggie but that roasted kohlrabi caught my full attention :)
Your dishes all look wonderful, as always, but I'm so tickled with the pictures of the whole kohlrabi, they are amazing :)
MERHABALAR
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kucak dolusu sevgilerimi gonderiyorum..
Slices of kohlrabi would be pretty good in that dipping sauce! Here are some more ideas:
http://www.cookingdownunder.com/articles/2006/240.htm
When I moved from New Zealand to Australia I had to give away my big spice and herb collection. Pity. But I soon acquired another lot :-)
Hi cynthia,
Nice recipe and beautiful presentation.
Thank you Cynthia, I could not find english name for them, now I know - kohlrabi, in Poland we have pale green variety... I used to eat them raw as a child ;)
Margot
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