The garden centers are setting up for spring. I have been receiving emails advising me to consider my coming garden, and I am still thinking of winter vegetables. That is wrong. I am making plans for the spring by preparing the beds, but the winter vegetables dominate my thoughts, since I have been harvesting them for the table. Mustard that is a bit too spicy when fresh has a milder flavor in the stir fry. The kale an collards have a better flavor with the colder temperatures, but they are not as abundant (or I have been harvesting them heavily?). The cabbages are beginning to form their heads. Then I noticed that I could have broccoli for dinner.

    My children have always loved broccoli. I can see why a child may not like them when served raw but I have not understood the aversion to them when they were cooked. Freshly harvested the stems are softer, less fibrous. I saw some good sized kohlrabi as well. Then I went to pull up some green onions, and I found the cilantro growing in abundance. I also pulled up a few white radishes. On my window sill, the last green tomato from the garden had gone red. I was in the mood for a braised dish.
    Broccoli takes on a brighter green color when braised, and you do not have to cook it for too long. I began by taking a lump of misdo in some water. I began to simmer this broth, stirring to break apart the misdo. I crushed a few kefir lime leaves into the broth, instead of the bay leaves. I have been using the bay leaves from my tree quite a bit, but the kefir leaves I had not harvested for a while. I added a few cloves, soy sauce, crushed garlic, and black pepper. This simmered for a bit, before adding the vegetables. I cut the kohlrabi, radish, and broccoli to the same size. These simmered in the braise for five minutes. I added the slices green onions and tomato next. After a minute, I removed the vegetables to a bowl. I drizzled a little olive oil on them along with chopped cilantro. I reheated a few chicken thighs in the braise, and I pulled out roasted yams from the oven. The yams had a touch of butter with nutmeg.
    I saved the broth for the next day’s lunch. This was a soup made from pasta and the leaves of the kohlrabi. I added chili flakes to this dish. I would have added them to the braise, but the children do not eat spicy dishes all too often. I like braising as a cooking method. Frying in oil can sometimes go quicker. The fat in the oil carries the flavor well. However, braising can impart flavors as well. I do not always add the touch of oil to the braised vegetables, but I wanted that little glisten. I could have made a sauce with the braising liquid, thickening it with cornstarch and water slurry.
    I am almost ready for the new season. February could still bring freezing temperatures. I will wait till March with those plantings. For now, I will enjoy the winter vegetables, and just maintain the garden that I have.

From a Houston garden to the table - A site dedicated to gardening and cooking in Houston.

Kohlrabi does well in the Houston garden during our winter. After the freezes this past weekend, I found my kohlrabi standing tall, enjoying the cold. (My wife says that this is my season, because I love the cold so much). I did not plant too many of  these plants this year. In fact, I have not planted them for some time.
    I harvested half of my kohlrabi plants this week. I like having this vegetable on my winter table. I have experienced a problem lately with the children though. I can remember some mothers who came up to me at Whole Foods, amazed that my son was eating vegetables instead of junk food. How did I do it? Simple, I did not buy junk food. Now my life has changed. My son is a teenager, and my little daughters spend time with their cousins; their peers have been influencing them. On the positive side, they still eat a larger variety of foods than many others. They all enjoy going to the various farmer’s markets (in the freezing cold morning, I went to the market at Rice University on Saturday. The vendors were glad to see me, but all of them asked where are the girls, instead of greeting me- they are loved).
    I love root vegetables, so I have been serving them since they are in season. Turnips did not go down well. When the kids saw the kohlrabi, they had a flashback, and they refused to touch them. Once my son tasted one, he was pleasantly surprised, and they have asked for more. I am going to see if I can find them- well, I know that Canino’s has them on hand.  It appears that kohlrabi will be on the table again soon.
    Preparation: you can eat the leaves of kohlrabi. They are tough, so you do need  to cook them for some time to soften them up- think of using them like cabbage, with maybe a little bit longer cooking time. As for the base, you will have to peel it. As a note, kohlrabi is not a root vegetable. This bulge occurs in the stem above the ground. Because of this bulge, kohlrabi is frequently referred to as the space ship plant. I find that the skin can be hard to peel, similar to broccoli stems. Peelers can work, but I take my chef’s knife to cut off the skin. The softer center can be prepared like any root vegetable. Since I was roasting a chicken, I sliced the kohlrabi into quarter inch wedges. Lightly slated and oiled them on a baking sheet. Once they had browned (about a half hour at 350F), I took them out. I sprinkled some flavored vinegar on them for serving. I have boiled them, and used them in stir fry dishes. What surprises my kids is the fact that kohlrabi can have a sweet flavor, particularly when roasted.
   Herbs which go with kohlrabi: I have had luck with basil (if my basil lasts into this season); caraway; chives; rosemary; marjoram; oregano; parsley; and thyme. I think that dill or fennel go well too. 

From a Houston garden to the table - A site dedicated to gardening and cooking in Houston.