Raw Vegan Kohlrabi Fries

If you didn't get a chance to make it out to the Food Coop picnic last weekend you missed not only some wonderful fellowship and incredible music, but you also missed a couple of cooking demos by me. For those unfamiliar, my name is Tim Vidra — I live here in Richmond, am a local food writer, author the blog E.A.T. and am also very proud to be a part of the board of directors for the Richmond Food Co-op. Today, I'm excited to share one of those recipes here on the co-op blog for you to enjoy. I love cooking and teaching people about food and how to prepare it. 

So let's talk about kohlrabi! It's a lesser known vegetable I love to pull out and see the surprise when I turn it into something amazing, easy, and equally delicious! Today we're going to make raw kohlrabi fries, perfect for summer snacking.

Kohlrabi is really part cabbage and part turnip with long stems and leaves. There is a green variety and a purple variety and once peeled they both have a white fibrous flesh. The kohlrabi I picked up and used for the demo were purchased from Origins Farm in Hanover County! Let's see how easy this vegetable really is to prepare!

Ingredients:

• 2 kohlrabi cleaned and peeled (see above)
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2-3T chili garlic sauce
• 2-3T rice wine vinegar
• 2-3T soy sauce
• dashes of sesame oil to taste 

Once the kohlrabi is cleaned, cut into 1/4" chips and then slice each chip into fries.

Place fries in a bowl and sprinkle the salt on top, allowing to set for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, let's make the sauce by add all of your wet ingredients to the bowl:

Adjust according to your taste and spiciness liking:

Drain the kohlrabi and you will be amazed at how much water the salt pulls out. Rinse the kohlrabi thoroughly of any salt.

Mix in your sauce, toss with the kohlrabi and you can serve immediately.

These are delicious served as an appetizer or as a side dish. So if you have been ducking and hiding from this vegetable in the past, or just never noticed them, take a moment to give them a try — I am sure you will be sold and a little sad when these are no longer in season and you have to wait until next year!

This vegetable can also be made into a delicious soup. Here is the recipe for my Kohlrabi Soup that I love making in the winter.

At the co-op we want to build a food community and also help educate those who may not be familiar with certain foods and cooking methods! 

Enjoy!