Kolhrabi!

So, we went to Hampton Court Palace recently (a revisit for me - but after a long time!) And they have carts in the grounds where you can purchase fruit, veg and plants from the gardens. There is no charge, and no attendant - you just donate what you can, if you want to. It's a bit like the concept of a hotel Honesty Bar. But with produce. 

And amongst the vegetables was this weird thing: a kohlrabi. OK, I've been outside Europe for a while, but I'd never seen it before. So I bought one to experiment with. 

This guy is a brassica - related to cabbages and cauliflowers. The bit I got - the 'bulb' - actually grows above ground as a fat stem, as this is not a root vegetable. The leaves can also be eaten, apparently. The bulbs come in white or purple varieties, and the name is German meaning 'cabbage turnip' - which I guess describes its looks! (It does also somewhat resemble a dragon fruit imho... )

I roasted the first half (it requires peeling and chopping, plus steaming first, to soften it up) and the outcome and general review was 'so so'. It's not sweet or flavoursome like a parsnip when roasted, or crispy like a potato. Fairly bland tbch!

Then a Greek friend suggested trying slices raw, dipped in lemon juice. And this was absolutely delicious! Raw, this vegetable is sort of like a cross between a radish and a carrot in texture - crunchy, mild and very refreshing. It would definiately work nicely in salads I think. And I will try it again if I can find one!