Kohlrabi, a low carb vegetable, nice with smothered leeks

Kohlrabi is a wonderful low-carb vegetable chock-full of vitamins and may be used instead of potatoes, but also raw in salads. Looking something like a Sputnik in vegetable form, with a squat bulb and antennae-like shoots, kohlrabi is part of the cabbage family. The name translates as 'turnip cabbage' and the mild, sweet flavour is somewhere between a turnip and a water-chestnut, with a crisp, crunchy texture. It can be found in two colours, pale green and the less common purple.
Availability
All year round, but best from mid July to mid November.
Choose the best
Larger bulbs can be tough, so select a medium-sized one that feels heavy for its dimensions. The leaves should be crisp-looking and intensely green. Avoid any bulbs that have soft spots or yellowing leaves.
Prepare it
Snip off the leaf stems, trim off the base and top, then use a potato peeler or sharp knife to peel it as if it's an apple. Then thinly slice, chunk or cut into wedges. If you're using slices in a salad, blanch them first.
Store it
Trim off the stems and keep in a perforated bag in the fridge - it will last up to two weeks.
Cook it
To roast, steam the bulb for 5 minutes, then roast for 45 minutes. Steam (up to 12 minutes). Stir fry (up to 6 minutes). The leaves can be cooked like cabbage.
Alternatives
Try turnip.
Details and more about Kohlrabi from here

Smothering is a way of cooking vegetables with a little fat and the least possible amount of water, in a covered pan (guess that's the smothering bit) until very, very tender. Kohlrabi holds together well, adding its own natural sweetness.

Ingredients

Serves Six : Side Dish
3 leeks, trimmed and cut into 2cm/¾in lengths
2 kohlrabi (around 650g/1lb 7oz), trimmed, peeled and cut into 2cm/¾in cubes
3 large carrots (around 550g/1¼lb), peeled and cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
6 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
water, to cover
salt and freshly ground black pepper
40g/1½oz butter

Method
1. Place the leeks, kohlrabi, carrots and garlic into a wide shallow pan which will take them in a single layer. Tuck the herbs down among them.
2. Pour in enough water to come about 1.5cm/½in up the sides of the pan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and dot with butter.
3. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat to the absolute minimum. Cover the pan with a lid or foil and leave to cook very gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally to make sure that it doesn't catch. If necessary add an extra splash of water, or if it ends up too watery, uncover and boil the water off. Either way, you are aiming to end up with meltingly tender vegetables, perhaps slightly patched with brown towards the end of cooking, with little more than a few tablespoonfuls of syrupy liquid left in the pan. Serve warm.

From original idea here

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe suggestions within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan