berries

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / DSCN0078

fresh fruit turns kohlrabi slaw sweet

Pale green or purple, kohlrabi is a stunning vegetable, with its bulbous enlarged stem and its crown of leaves. The name kohlrabi comes, via German, from the Italian cavolo rapa and literally means 'turnip cabbage'. However, kohlrabi is not a turnip, but a cultivar of Brassica oleracea, a species that includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale.

Kohlrabi is a versatile vegetable: you can eat it raw, add it to soups and stews, shred it to make fritters or slice and grill it, or cube and roast it. Regardless of the skin color, the inside is a creamy white. Kohlrabi's crisp texture is reminiscent of a broccoli stem, with a flavor that is somewhat sweeter and slightly radish-like. Its leaves (foglie) are edible and can be used like you would collard greens or kale.

Kohlrabi and carrot go well together. The original recipe for this slaw was kindly shared with me by Kelsey Perone of Rain Frog Farm located near Blue Lake, CA (details in an article I wrote for the North Coast Journal1). The recipe includes raisins (uvetta) and I have also prepared it with dried cherries. The version I am sharing here uses fresh fruit instead.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit

Ingredients:

  • 7 ounces / 200 grams kohlrabi, clean weight
  • 2 1/2 ounces / 70 grams carrot, clean weight
  • 2 tablespoons / 1/2 ounce / 14 grams minced red onion
  • 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (basil, dill, parsley or cilantro)
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml mayonnaise, possibly homemade
  • 2 teaspoons / 10 ml cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 1/2 ounces / 100 grams fresh fruit, for example blueberries, strawberries, cherries, clean weight

After cutting off the leaves and their stems (remember, the leaves are edible), cut the kohlrabi in half lengthwise, then into quarters. Cut away the bottom corner and peel off the tough outermost layer. Weigh then grate the kohlrabi using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Scrub the carrot well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin. Weigh then grate using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater. Place the minced onion, the vegetables and the herbs in a serving bowl.

In a ramekin, whisk together the dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sea salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well.

Prepare the fruit as needed (for example, hull and slice strawberries, pit and quarter cherries, remove stone and slice peaches or apricots) then weigh it. Add the fruit to the vegetables, toss again and serve.

Serves 2-3.

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / DSCN0078

diving into the bowl

In another article I wrote for the North Coast Journal, I suggest adding melon (melone) to leftovers of this slaw2.

1 My article Meet Kohlrabi (North Coast Journal, August 2, 2018)
2 My article Add Melon (North Coast Journal, August 29, 2019)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca

or launch the insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

image from 4.bp.blogspot.comI am contributing my salad to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

kohlrabi, carrot, salad, berries, mayonnaise

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Newrule

insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / DSCN0078

la frutta addolcisce questa insalata di cavolo rapa

Verde chiaro o rosso violaceo il cavolo rapa è una verdura affascinante con la sua forma bulbosa e la sua corona di foglie. Dall'italiano cavolo rapa, attraverso il tedesco, viene il nome inglese kohlrabi. Ma non si tratta di una rapa: questo vegetale appartiene alla specie Brassica oleracea, che comprende anche broccolo, cavolo e cavolfiore.

Il cavolo rapa è un ortaggio versatile: si può mangiare crudo, aggiungere ad una zuppa, grigliare o fare arrosto. La polpa è bianco crema e la sua consistenza ricorda lo stelo del broccolo con un sapore un po' più dolce e che ricorda un po' il ravanello. Le foglie di cavolo rapa sono commestibili e si preparano come il cavolo nero o riccio.

Cavolo rapa e carota formano un ottimo connubio. La ricetta originale per questa insalata mi fu data da Kelsey Perone dell'azienda agricola Rain Frog Farm (vicino a Blue Lake, CA) per un articolo 1. La ricetta comprende l'uvetta e io l'ho preparata anche con le ciliege secche. La versione che presento qui invece utilizza frutta fresca.

Ingredienti:

  • 200 g cavolo rapa, peso pulito
  • 70 g carrota, peso pulito
  • 2 cucchiai / 14 g cipollotto rosso tritato (o cipolla rossa tritata)
  • 1-2 cucchiai erbe aromatiche fresche (basilico, aneto, prezzemolo o coriandolo)
  • 2 cucchiai / 30 ml maionese, possibilmente fatta in casa
  • 2 cucchiaini / 10 ml aceto di sidro di mele
  • 1/4 cucchiaino sale fino
  • 1/8 cucchiaino pepe nero macinato fresco
  • 100 g frutta fresca, per esempio mirtilli, fragole, ciliegie, ecc., peso pulito

Tagliare le foglie, se presenti e metterle da parte per usarle in un'altra ricetta (sono commestibili). Tagliare il cavolo rapa a metà per lungo poi ancora a metà. Tagliare l'angolo in basso e pelare ciascun pezzo. Pesare poi grattugiare con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia.

Pulire la carota e raschiare la superficie. Pesare poi grattugiare con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia.

Mettere cipollotto o cipolla, le verdure e le erbe aromatiche in un'insalatiera. In una ciotolina, mescolare gli ingredienti della salsina: maionese, aceto, sale e pepe. Versare la salsina sulle verdure e mescolare bene.

Se necessario, preparare la frutta: per esempio rimuovere il picciolo e affettare le fragole, snocciolare e tagliare in quarti le ciligie, ecc. Pesare poi aggiungere all'insalata e mescolare di nuovo, poi servire.

Porzioni 3.

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / DSCN0078

visione dall'alto

In un altro mio articolo, suggerisco di aggiungere del melone agli avanzi di questa insalata2.

1 Il mio articolo (in inglese) Meet Kohlrabi (North Coast Journal, 2 Agosto 2018)
2 Il mio articolo (in inglese) Add Melon (North Coast Journal, 29 Agosto 2019)

Logo_v4Porto la mia insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca sulla tavola del 6° mese del gruppo Fattoria consapevole e solidale: Frutta fresca

La lista delle ricette contribuite questo mese.

 

recipe: blackberry sorbet (sorbetto alle more)

| Simona
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torta soffice con frutta mista / sponge cake with mixed fruit

| Simona
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raspberries, mango and cherries on a soft cake

Excerpt from A Mind to Murder by P.D. James

This delightful page comes from the novel A Mind to Murder by P.D. James (1963), the second of the Adam Dalgliesh novels. In my announcement for the current edition of Novel Food, I mentioned that I was reading it:

I read the first one Cover Her Face and liked it a lot, so now I am on to the second one. "In 1962 P.D. James' first novel, Cover Her Face, was published. In that novel she introduced the sensitive, taciturn, and hardworking Inspector Adam Dalgliesh" (source).

The murder to which the excerpt refers occurrs at the Steen Psychiatric Clinic, in London. An interesting detail is that at the beginning of the story, Superintendent Dalgliesh (of Scotland Yard) is asked to visit the scene of the crime while he is at a party:

At the other end of the square Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh of the Criminal Investigation Department was attending the ritual autumn sherry party given by his publishers which had coincided with the third reprint of his first book of verse. He didn't overestimate his talent or the success of his book. The poems, which reflected his detached, ironic and fundamentally restless spirit, had happened to catch a public mood.

Dalgliesh is a published poet: see, I told you that he is an interesting character. And P.D. James is a skillful and sensitive writer. I hope that the excerpts give you a glimpse of her art. With both novels, I had difficulty putting down the book, the traditional hallmark of the deeply absorbed reader.

The passage about the tea offered to Dalgliesh by Mrs. Fenton struck me particularly, since we are told in detail what was prepared for Dalgliesh and his reaction to the feast. Having recently presented two recipes for scones, I decided try my hand at something different to offer Superintendent Dalgliesh. I started my search using "iced sponge" as a trace, and, after looking at a number of recipes, I chose the one for Lemon Sponge Cake with Mixed Berries.

For Superintendent Dalgliesh, in the case at hand the conclusion does not come easy. In fact, in the lead up to the novel's denouement, he voices his uneasiness. This being a mystery, saying more would put me in the difficult position of revealing important details of the story and I'd much rather pique your curiosity and make you reach for the volume.

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a nice, light cake

And now for the cake that I contribute to the tea prepared for Superintendent Dalgliesh. It a lightly sweetened cake with an soft texture that is just perfect for a proper English tea. I halved the quantities of the original recipe, halved again the sugar and made a couple more adjustments. I also used a mix of fruit, rather than jsut berries: raspberries (lamponi), mango and cherries (ciliegie). Instead of honey, I drizzled some fruit syrup on the top. The syrup is a by-product of macerating fruit for making preserves. At a preserve-making class I took from June Taylor, I saw her drain some of the juice produced by the fruit, when it was too much, which can happen, depending on the kind of fruit used. I boiled the syrup to reduce it slightly, and jarred it with the intention of using it in situations like the one at hand. It is lightly sweetened and very fruity.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) superfine sugar: take 1 tablespoon of it after measuring
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup cake flour
  • Mixed fruit
  • 2 tablespoons fruit syrup

Follow the instructions as on the original recipe with the following adjustments:

  • Add the tablespoon of sugar you separated to the egg whites.
  • Use an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • If your oven allows it, use the convection bake option.
  • Check the cake after 30 minutes in the oven.
  • Drizzle fruit syrup over top of cake; however, if you don't have syrup, use the honey and lemon juice blend as in the original recipe.

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Considering the challenge I face every time I decide to decorate something, I am proud of myself for how I was able to keep my inner genie under control here. I think that a Kandinsky-influenced decoration would not have been appropriate in the case of Mrs. Fenton's tea.

Small_NFlogo This is my second contribution to the 16th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I have started some time ago.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Bookmarked recipes new logoAnd I am submitting this recipe, bookmarked on the Prevention magazine website, to the July edition of Bookmarked Recipes, an event originally started by Ruth of Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments and now hosted by Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

 Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

torta soffice con frutta mista

or launch the torta soffice con frutta mista audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

cake, fruit, raspberry, lemon, mango, cherry