“Dressed” To Impress
Just because it’s February doesn’t mean there’s nothing fresh at the Orinda Farmer’s Market.
Start with a bag of oranges, for example, for everything from snacking to juicing or using in cakes and pastries. Leafy greens are also plentiful and include lettuces, kale, arugula, mustard greens and spinach – perfect for combining into salads or making a powerful smoothie. (The kale craze isn’t over just yet, since I still crave kale leaves baked up into tasty chips using a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and 20 minutes in a 75-degree oven.)
And be sure to check out one of the newest members of the Orinda market, Adam and Alex Gray. They bring their Farmor’s Dressing to offer you more ways to be creative in the kitchen. An oil-and mustard-based vinaigrette has evolved into three options (avocado oil, honey or balsamic vinegar) and will fit neatly with all the available lettuce.
Passed down from Denmark through three generations, the ingredients are still simple, pure and familiar. The dressings work well as a marinade, on pasta salad and avocado toast or as a dip for pizza pieces. The couple says one of the highlights of the market day is exchanging more recipe ideas with their customers.
A rather mundane vegetable is the perfect candidate for making a slaw complemented by a Farmor’s Dressing. Kohlrabi is a globe-shaped member of the cabbage family, looking more like a root vegetable than a head of cabbage.
It’s the enlarged, bulb-like portion of the stem that forms just above the ground and produces thinner, leaf-topped stems that grow out in all directions. All parts (bulbs, stem and leaves) are edible, raw or cooked. The sweet, crisp flesh of the bulb hints of radish, while the thinner stems and leaves taste more cabbage-like. A crunchy slaw is my favorite way to use kohlrabi, but it’s just as tasty steamed or sauteed or used in soups and stews.
At the market, kohlrabi may arrive with greens attached – one of the best ways to check for freshness. To prepare, cut the greens off to use in salads or for a sauté dish.
The bulbs take a little more work. Remove the tough, woody skin with a vegetable peeler or knife. Cut thebulb in half before cutting into chunks, slicing or dicing. Want to impress the guests? Hollow out the interior and stuff with a meat or vegetable filling before baking.
To store kohlrabi, remove the leaves from the stems and place them in separate plastic bags. Leaves keep for a few days in the refrigerator and bulbs keep for up to two weeks.
The Orinda Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Orinda Way in Orinda Village. More information is available at cccfm.org, Facebook.com/OrindaFarmersMarket, on Instagram @OrindaFarmersMarket or call the market hotline at 925.322.6228.
Kohlrabi Slaw
1 – 2 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into match sticks
1 apple, cored and cut into match sticks
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into match sticks
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
½ cup FARMOR’S DRESSING (I like the Avocado Oil or Olive Oil)
Toss kohlrabi, apple, onion, carrot and celery together in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and stir to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 3 to 4.
