Kohlrabi carpaccio

A carpaccio is an Italian dish of thinly sliced meat, usually raw smoked beef, drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Delicious versions of carpaccio with other meats and fish are also available. In this case, the chef made this dish vegetarian using kohlrabi. Kohlrabi, or knolkohl, is one of those vegetables that folks ignore in the vegetable store, mainly because they do not know what to do with it. I love this vegetable, raw and cooked. This is a wonderful vegetable that is slightly flavoured, crunchy, and full of nutrients. For this recipe, use the smallest ones in the pile. They have tough outer skin, followed by a layer of fibre, especially in the more mature vegetable; make sure you peel it all off. I sometimes have to peel 2-3 layers off until I get to the edible crunchy centre. In addition, this dish is best served with very thin slices. Use a mandolin for best results. The thin slices absorb the flavours from the herb, salt, and lemon juice faster.

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Ingredients:

3 baby kohlrabi, peeled and sliced thin, preferably with a mandolin

A few slices of goat’s cheese, like a Manchego cheese

A sprinkle of fresh or dried thyme

Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

A generous sprinkle of large grain sea salt

A generous drizzle of EVOO

Layer the sliced kohlrabi in slightly overlapping circles on a dish. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle the herbs and salt—layer with the cheese. Serve as an appetizer or starter.