Food & Wine (June 2009)
We're in a little bit of a lull with our CSA share right now. It's the time of the season when we're transitioning from spring vegetables to the summer harvest. We're not getting leafy greens or asparagus spears anymore, but it's not quite time for tomatoes, squash and corn.
In this little interlude, our weekly share has included things like: one kohlrabi, three turnips, some kale, and a smattering of other things, like carrots, onions and chard.
Of course we don't want our veggies to go to waste, but what to do with one kohlrabi? How could we use up three little purple turnips?
Time to get creative!
We decided to make a slaw out of the turnips, the turnip greens and the kohlrabi. We sliced the greens thinly with a knife, but we just shredded the turnips and the kohlrabi using the food processor.
Perhaps because of the kohlrabi, we thought an Asian-style slaw would be the way to go. And we knew just what to dress it with -- the Ginger Vinaigrette from the June 2009 Food & Wine. You may remember that we've already turned to that issue's feature on "Best 5-Minute Dressings" for Basil Vinaigrette, Creamy Feta Vinaigrette, and Honey-Lemon Dressing.
Like those other dressings, the Ginger Vinaigrette comes together with ease. In fact, other than salt and pepper, there are just four ingredients, all of which we happened to have on hand: rice vinegar, sugar, fresh ginger and vegetable oil. We whisked them together, poured the dressing over the slaw, and chilled it briefly before serving.
The result? Fantastic! The mix of turnip greens, turnips and kohlrabi definitely made for a nontraditional slaw, but the lovely, light Ginger Vinaigrette really tied everything together well. The whole dish was light and bright, the perfect side for a summer meal.
The next time you've got some random vegetables, think about making a slaw. And the next time you think about slaw, think about this tangy Ginger Vinaigrette!
Turnip-and-Kohlrabi Slaw with Ginger-Vinaigrette Dressing
For the slaw:
Ingredients:
3 medium purple turnips, plus greens
1 head kohlrabi
Remove the greens from the turnips, wash and trim. Discard tough stems. Using a knife, slice the turnip greens into thin strips.
Using a knife or vegetable peeler, remove the tough outer skin of the kohlrabi and turnips. Quarter the vegetables, so that they can fit in the feed tube of a food processor. Using the shredding blade of a food processor, shred the turnips and kohlrabi.
If using a food processor is not an option, shredded the vegetables using either a knife or vegetable peeler.
In a large bowl, toss the turnip greens with the shredded kohlrabi, turnips and Ginger Vinaigrette (recipe below). Chill for 10 minutes. Serve.
Ginger Vinaigrette
Food & Wine (June 2009)
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Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar with the sugar and grated ginger until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the vegetable oil and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
