Kohlrabi Aliens

I waited all season for my kohlrabi to bolt and go to seed so I can do some collecting.

I knew if they hadn't flowered by the end of fall, I would let them overwinter.

Even though there is still no sign--not even a hint of a flower stalk--they have taken on a life form of their own.

This one developed "pups" at the top of the "bulb" 

This one didn't form any "pups," but just elongated along the soil's surface 

This one split in half, or developed a side pup.

Turns out that these veggies are considered "perennial" which is confusing because the longer you let them grow, their texture becomes woody and no amount of cooking will change it. There is a cultivar 'Gigante' that will grow to 4" in diameter. This cultivar is also known as the 'Superschmelz' which I'm tempted to try since I just love saying that name! The trade off will be color. 'Superschmelz' is green.

I think I'll let the 'Kolibri' (that's the purple one I have) continue to grow and see what it does in the end. Will it ever flower? Will it continue to make pups? Maybe the pups are decent eating? I may also try the younger leaves to see how they compare to kale and other mustard greens. Stay tuned...

Kohlrabi 'Kolibri'

This was my first year growing kohlrabi. I chose 'Kolibri' for it's flatter shape and purple bulb. I had no idea what to expect, but figured I'd give it a shot. One misconception I had was I thought the edible part grew underground like a turnip. I thought I had to sink the starts way down deep as I do if my kale starts are too big. I wasn't able to plant them that way. The starts were more stubborn than me so I let them have their way and hoped for the best. Once they were in the ground, I didn't have to do much to them except make sure the soil stayed moist. I real no fuss crop!

I was pleased to see attractive kohlrabi is. I like how the purple globes and midribs play off the Allium cristophii. I planted this batch furthest away from the house and out of view from the rest of the garden. Next year I will plant them closer to my purple sage.

I harvested my first round from the plot a couple of nights ago. What a beauty! As I carried them into the house, my neighbor warned me about them getting pithy and if they aren't adequately watered, they'll have a more concentrated mustard taste. I asked how he likes to eat them. "Raw with mustard!" he replied with a smile. Not exactly the flavor I was after. I wanted a crunchy refreshing side dish to my fish tacos.

Only having had green kohlrabi in a local Vietnamese restaurant a few times, I wasn't sure how quickly it would cook or how well it soaks up flavors. I peeled and diced it, sauteed it my cast iron pan with olive oil, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. I halved some grape tomatoes and smashed them with my hands before adding them to the mix. I added some cilantro ('Standby' from my garden as well!) to the pan at the very end. The whole dish start to finish took about ten minutes.

Easy growing! Easy cooking!