Kohlrabi

I was introduced to kohlrabi while I was in Germany.  My host family grew them in their garden, and I loved them-- fresh or quick-cooked in the microwave-- my host mom made them so yummy.  I've always struggled though, with the kohlrabis I find in the grocery store here in the US.  They are so small an anemic-looking compared to the ones my host family grows.  Do I really want them?  Well, early in the fall, I was wandering through the farmers' market and found the mother of all kohlrabi.  It was three or four times the size of the ones in the grocery store; next to this monstrous veggie, my host family's appear dwarfish.  IT WAS ALMOST THE SIZE OF MY HEAD.

From an earlier try with kohlrabi (I had found some at the store I felt were acceptably sized), I knew my husband prefers cooked kohlrabi to raw; he thinks it tastes a bit like cauliflower.  I don't really care for cauliflower, so I disagree, but sure, I could cook it for him.

Creamy Kohlrabi Puree

Kohlrabi (half of a massive kohlrabi, 2 of a grocery store kohlrabi)

1-2 Tbsp butter

1 green onion (scallion), chopped

salt

Lawry's seasoned salt

pepper

Peel and roughly chop the kohlrabi, then place in salted water.  Bring to a boil, and cook until the kohlrabi is tender (like cooking potatoes).  Drain the water.  Add the butter and use a food processor, immersion blender, or potato masher to create a smooth, creamy texture.  Season to taste with Lawry's and pepper, and stir in the green onion.  

Super-easy, but super-yummy.  I was surprised how much I liked it, actually.  It really did have a creamy mouthfeel, and the onion gave it a bit of pop.  It doesn't necessarily look (or taste) like a typical green veggie, making it a nice way to get out of a rut.  It is still a veggie, though, and has a fresh flavor that balanced the fried onion rings we served it with.  

I think seasoning is key to developing interesting flavors with kohlrabi.  Lawry's is great that way, and pepper gives it a little more depth.  If you want an even quicker way to serve up kohlrabi try the following, which is an easy way to take it to work, too.  Peel and chop a portion of kohlrabi, and throw it in a microwave-safe dish.  Add a bit of butter, Lawry's, and pepper.  Microwave 1 minute, and enjoy.

Lasagne-inspired Spaghetti Squash

I am quite the fan of spaghetti squash.  One of the few squash my mom was able to get me to eat as a kid.  You cook it up, comb it with a fork, and cover it with spaghetti sauce, and presto!  Stealth veggie. As I've gotten older, my tasting ability has improved, and I can tell it isn't pasta (as a kid, half of eating was what I thought it would be-- if it looked like spaghetti, it must have been spaghetti, and spaghetti was what I was going to taste.), but I still enjoy it.  The flavor isn't entirely dissimilar.  I convinced my husband we ought to try it, and rather than just dish it up with tomato sauce, of which he isn't a big fan, I decided to make it into a casserole.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole
1 smallish spaghetti squash
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
1 carrot
1 clove garlic confit (or garlic)
tomato sauce (~2 C)
1 C chopped/shredded cooked chicken
2 C shredded cheese (I used a combination of queso fresco and… something else I had sitting in my fridge.  I'd recommend mozzarella.)

Begin by cooking the squash.  Jab it a few times with a fork and/or sharp knife, then place it on a plate in the microwave.  I usually give it five minutes, then continue in 2 1/2 minute intervals, turning the squash to evenly cook it.  It's done when it is tender.

Save your fingers: let the squash cool.  Meanwhile, dice the onion, pepper, and carrot.  If you are using fresh garlic, mince that as well; if using confit, you can just crush it with a spatula.  Place in a small pot with a bit of oil, and cook until tender.  Add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat.

Cut the squash in half, then scrape out the flesh with a fork.  Grease a casserole dish.  Place about a third of the squash in the casserole, then about a third of the chicken, followed by approximately a third of the sauce and cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Repeat until everything is layered.  Bake at 350˚F until cheese is melted and casserole is warm throughout.

If I were to make this again, I would probably add some oregano to the sauce mix, and maybe incorporate the chicken into it, too, to unify everything a bit more.  Using mozzarella would've improved it, too, I think, rather than a desperate bid to use what I had on hand.   It was a tad under-seasoned; I needed more salt and pepper.  I also rushed this, so the cheese wasn't as "melty" as it ought to have been.  It was a good idea, but fell a bit short because of those things.  It'll be better, and more intentional, next time.  

Baked Eggs Florentine

A while ago, I bought some frozen spinach by mistake.  Oops.  To use it up, I made spinach dip for a softball team, which only got rid of half of it, and left me wondering what to do with the other package.  (No, I don't know how I wound up buying TWO of the wrong item.  I probably forgot to check a recipe.)  Then my husband and I were flipping through my cookbooks and I spotted (more or less) the following recipe in 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples of Crowds, by Rachael Ray.  It seemed like just the right recipe, because I only needed to buy 2 ingredients for it!  So here's my take on her dish.

Baked Eggs Florentine
1 10-oz package frozen spinach
2 Tbsp garlic confit oil*
1 clove confit garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion
4 fresh thyme sprigs
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 C chicken stock
1/2 C cream
nutmeg
4 eggs
1/2 C grated Gruyere

*If you don't have the garlic confit oil (seriously, though, it is one of the best recipes I have made), use olive oil and add a clove of minced garlic along with the onion.  That's what was called for in the original recipe.

Defrost the spinach, place in a clean towel, and wring out the excess moisture.  Chop the onions, and remove the thyme leaves from the woody stem.

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and sauté for ~5 minutes.  Add the spinach, using a utensil to distribute it (it should be a clump when you add it).  Add the chicken stock, cream, and a bit of nutmeg.  Simmer until creamy and thickened (shouldn't take long).

Grease a small baking dish.  Transfer the creamy spinach mixture to the dish, and make 4 little divots in it.  Carefully crack an egg into each hollow.  Season with salt and pepper, then cover the top of the dish with a layer of Gruyere.  (I just grated a block of cheese directly onto the top.)  Bake at 450˚F ~5-10 minutes until the egg is set (I like a runny yolk, so 10 was way too long for me!)

I found the recipe, as it was in the book, rather confusing.  I didn't seem to have the amount of spinach mixture that Rachael worked with; I spread it really thin in the baking dish, my eggs cooked way faster than they should have…  It was a tad frustrating.  But it was delicious anyway.  I ate the leftovers (my husband and I only ate 1 egg) for lunch for the next two days.  Since the yolk was set already, it reheated well; a runny yolk will finish cooking in the microwave, which isn't really an issue, just something to be aware of the first time you reheat an egg.

The spinach was rich and flavorful, and eggs are always a favorite of mine.  Gruyere has a wonderful, salty flavor and is also rich, getting along well with the rest of the dish.  It melts beautifully, which is why I had no qualms about getting a whole block of it; it's great for a grilled sandwich.  Which was, in a way, how I ended up eating my leftovers.  I toasted some bread, and served the spinach and egg on top of it, like an open-faced sandwich.  That gave it a nice crunchy element to the texture.  I don't think my husband was wild about it; he's not much of a spinach fan.  However, he did find this recipe palatable. It may not be the most gorgeous dish I've ever put on a plate, but it was tasty and filling.