Crispy Baked Kohlrabi
I’ll admit it: I haven’t always been a kohlrabi fan. It’s hard to peel, it’s stanky and the taste just doesn’t seem worth it. However, in my farmers market-induced high this weekend I picked up a pair of these alienesque veggies.
Pre-chop: v alien
Post-chop: less alien
After searching and searching for a non-slaw kohlrabi recipe, I eventually stumbled upon a New York Times recipe for kohlrabi home fries. The original recipe called for pan-frying the kohlrabi in oil, but I opted for a baked version of these beauts.
They’re crispy, garlicky and have some spicy ‘tude if you want it. They're perfect to pair with a burger fresh off the grill and some summer fruit salad.
Look under the recipe for sustainability tips and tell me about your favorite kohlrabi recipes in the comments!
Time: 1 hour
Serves: four to six people
Ingredients
4 medium kohlrabi
1 ½ cups cracker crumbs or panko
3 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder (more or less to taste, optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
Steps
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Peel and chop your kohlrabi. These guys can be kind of intimidating, so I recommending chopping off their heads, tails and any extra bits that stick out before whipping out your peeler. Then cut into fry-sized strips.
Prep your dunking station: first, crack the two eggs into a small bowl and mix 'em up with a fork. Then in another small bowl stir together cracker crumbs or panko, spices, salt and pepper.
Designate one of your hands "wet" and the other "dry." Using "wet," dunk one kohlrabi strip into the eggs and wiggle it around until it's coated. Then place it into the cracker mixture and use "dry" to coat it with crumbs. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the kohlrabi strips.
Pop those puppies in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until they reach your fav level of crispy.
but how do we make it sustainable??
Kohlrabi: Make sure kohlrabi is in season when you make this! Kohlrabi is kind of an interesting duck because it’s grown year-round in a lot of places. In the Midwest, it usually springs up at markets in late spring and again in early fall, so be on the lookout.
Garlic powder: It’s super easy to make your own garlic powder. Serious Eats can show you how! More power to you if you grew the garlic yourself.
Eggs: Local eggs only pls. No excessive GHGs here.
Olive oil: Fair Trade if you can, but most def organic (pst! read more about this in my last post). Using olive oil in this recipe will make your fries a lot more floppy, but it's a good option if you’re vegan or avoiding eggs.
Baking sheet: Drop that aluminum foil! Use compostable parchment if you compost or just drizzle some oil directly on the sheet. It might take a little longer to clean up, but it's totes worth it to reduce your waste.