Kohlrabi, Courgette and Pecorino Salad
No it’s not a triffid in the garden, lured here by sub-tropical summers and global warming, it’s actually a kohlrabi, admittedly looking slightly odd with the absence of its leafy top but, as with all roots, if you want them to stay their best in the fridge past a day or so you really need to chop the leaves off.
Kohlrabi, described by Wikipedia as ‘a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage,’ does not sound appetizing. But, as this is the second time I have had one turn up in my organic box I feel I owe it the odd root to find a noble way of serving it. The last one I roasted (as is my standard fall-back treatment of any root vegetable I don’t quite know what to do with); it was perfectly nice in the way of roasted swede and turnip.
But then I found a recipe for kohlrabi, crab and apple salad in Skye Gyngell’s excellent book My Favourite Ingredients
How right Skye Gyngell is! Kohlrabi is DELICIOUS raw, sliced as thinly as you can it has a green-tinged translucent appearance and a milky, peppery crunch. I had no crab or apple – though I can see quite how these would go well – so have instead created a raw courgette (or zucchini for overseas readers), kohlrabi and Pecorino salad.
The River Cafe first introduced me, in their simple yet ingenious way, to raw courgettes, which is delicious as long as you find super-fresh, preferably small courgettes and slice, dress and serve them with haste. As so many British gardeners have a glut of these vegetables during the summer it could become a staple lunch or side dish, simply dressed with this lemon vinaigrette and cheese.
It annoys me that people write Pecorino off as a substitute for Parmesan. They are ENTIRELY different. At this time of year this usually 100% sheep’s milk cheese (though for some producers at some times of the year, a mixture of cow’s and sheep’s is used due to scarcity of sheep’s milk) can range from pale, verging on semi-soft and not too aggressive to the sharp and tangy crumbly cheese so good for grating over salads. The one I am using is Pecorino di Fossa from Umbria that matures for ten months, partly in an Apennine hollow (or ‘fossa) covered with herbs and spices, giving it an earthy, vegetal smell and delicious flavour. (Find this and many other Pecorino cheeses at La Fromagerie.) Of course, should you prefer, a good Parmesan works well too!
Kohlrabi, Courgette and Pecorino Salad (Serves 4)
I small or ½ large kohlrabi
2 fresh, small courgettes
200g Pecorino or Parmesan
1 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 tbsp best olive oil
salt and pepper
handful of finely chopped parsley
Peel the kohlrabi and slice as finely as you can.
Leaving the skin on, slice the courgettes as thinly as you can on an angle so you get long ovals instead of small circles.
Peel off shards of the Pecorino with a sharp knife.
Make a vinaigrette by whisking the lemon juice and olive oil and a little salt and pepper until it emulsifies. Adjust the seasoning remembering the cheese is salty.
Assemble the vegetables attractively on a plate and drizzle over the dressing. Scatter the cheese on top. Finally add a sprinkle of parsley.
Serve immediately with good sourdough bread.
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