There is a new farm near Kingston that delivers a box of home grown veggies to your home. I thought I would give it a try and am so glad I did. Lots of wonderful surprises. One that I had never cooked or eaten before was Kohlrabi.
One big and beautiful green one was part of my bounty! Luckily it came with a wide variety of apples as the first recipe I found was Shaved Kohlrabi with Apples and Hazelnuts. I had apples in my box and hazelnuts in my freezer so made the following salad for dinner tonight. It was excellent. I might even buy Kohlrabi again. I think you might like this!
Shaved Kohlrabi with Apples and Hazelnuts.
INGREDIENTS
-
½ cup blanched hazelnuts
-
2 medium kohlrabi (about 2 lb. total), peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline
-
1 tart apple (such as Pink Lady or Crispin), peeled, cored, thinly sliced on a mandoline
-
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
-
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
-
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
-
Kosher salt
-
½ cup torn fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
-
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
-
2 oz. Pecorino di Fossa or Parmesan, shaved (about ¼ cup)
RECIPE PREPARATION
-
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
-
Toss kohlrabi, apple, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar in a medium bowl; season with salt. Add ½ cup mint and gently toss to just combine.
-
Toss toasted hazelnuts and oil in a small bowl to coat; season with salt.
-
Divide kohlrabi salad among plates and top with seasoned hazelnuts, Pecorino, and more mint.
-
DO AHEAD: Hazelnuts can be toasted 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
Chicken Piccata (for 2) for two giants…. from Cook’s Illustrated
For this recipe, we used our easy approach to butchering and cooking chicken cutlets. First, we cut each chicken breast in half crosswise. Then, we halved the thicker portion horizontally to make three similar-size pieces that required only minimal pounding to become cutlets. We salted the cutlets briefly to boost their ability to retain moisture and then lightly coated them in flour, which helped with browning. We seared the cutlets quickly on both sides and set them aside while making the sauce. Including both lemon juice and lemon slices in the sauce adds complexity and textural appeal. We then returned the cutlets to the pan to cook through and to wash any excess starch into the sauce, eliminating a gummy coating. A hearty amount of briny capers and a few tablespoons of butter finished the dish.
INGREDIENTS
2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed Kosher salt and pepper 1 large lemon ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 small shallot, minced ½ teaspoon minced garlic ½ cup chicken broth 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces 1 tablespoon capers, drained 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh parsley INSTRUCTIONS
SERVES 2
Serve with buttered pasta, white rice, potatoes, or crusty bread and a simple steamed vegetable.
1. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise, then cut thick half in half again horizontally, creating 3 cutlets of similar thickness. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to even ½-inch thickness. Place cutlets in bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Halve lemon lengthwise. Trim ends from 1 half, halve lengthwise again, then slice crosswise ¼ inch thick; set aside. Juice remaining half and set aside 1½ tablespoons juice.
3. Spread flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge cutlets in flour, shaking gently to remove excess. Place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place cutlets in skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook until golden brown on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Return cutlets to wire rack.
4. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and shallot to skillet and cook until softened, 30 seconds. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add broth, reserved lemon juice, and reserved lemon slices and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
5. Add cutlets to sauce and simmer for 4 minutes, flipping halfway through simmering. Transfer cutlets to platter. Sauce should be thickened to consistency of heavy cream; if not, simmer 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in butter. Stir in capers and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve