Photo by Barbara Damrosch
Bake scalloped kohlrabi into an easy vegetable casserole with cheese and cream.
4 servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds kohlrabi, each 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter
- 1 cup heavy cream, divided
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp nutmeg, ground or grated
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
Directions
- Trim and peel the kohlrabi and slice crosswise into thin rounds. You should have at least 4 cups, packed. Arrange half of them in overlapping rows in a baking dish — a 7-by-10-inch oblong works well for me.
- Pour 1/2 cup of cream over the slices, and sprinkle them with half the rosemary, salt and nutmeg, plus a grating of pepper. Place the rest of the slices in overlapping rows, as before, and pour the rest of the cream over the layers. Sprinkle on the remaining rosemary, salt and nutmeg, and add another grating of pepper.
- Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes, or until the scalloped kohlrabi is fork-tender and the cream no longer runs into the corner when you tilt the dish. Remove from the oven and distribute the cheese evenly over the top. Sprinkle with paprika, and then place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown. (If you don’t have a broiler, just return the dish to the oven briefly to melt the cheese.) Serve hot or warm. Any leftovers of this kohlrabi gratin are great reheated in the oven the next day.
For more unique ideas on how you can use kohlrabi as an ingredient in light supper dishes, check out these tips and recipes: How to Grow and Cook Kohlrabi and Rosemary.
Barbara Damrosch cooks kohlrabi and tends rosemary with her husband, Eliot Coleman, at Four Season Farm in Maine. She’s the author of The Garden Primer and, with Coleman, The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook.
In this kohlrabi gratin, similar to scalloped potatoes, kohlrabi takes the place of spuds. Even with cream and a cheese topping, the kohlrabi flavor comes through. The slices hold their shape nicely despite the long cooking time of this easy vegetable casserole. Kohlrabi gratin is simple to make and is oh-so-satisfying on a chilly day. Yield: 4 servings.
