Mysterious winter vegetables

Last week everything but meat and mushrooms seemed to disappear from the farmers market. It's been too cold for the high tunnel greens, and even the apples and pears are dwindling.

But there are two vegetables that endure: kohlrabi and celeriac. This winter we tried both. Let's just say that cerleriac had some unfortunate intestinal consequences and we probably won't go back. Kohlrabi, on the other hand was a wonderful surprise.

Though it looks like a root from an alien planet, kohlrabi is really an enlarged stem that tastes like a cross between cabbage and broccoli. Thin skinned, easy to slice, the flavor is nice and subtle and the texture is crisp and fresh. Such a surprise this time of year. 

We tried it boiled with butter and parmesan cheese but it seemed too mushy and a waste of such a light and airy food. Better to chop it into matchsticks for munching or slice thinly for salad. 

Super recipes for superfood

I don't think I ever knowingly at kale before I started going to farmers markets. In fact I'm suspicious of anything that goes from unknown to rock star overnight. (There must be a shadow kale PR campaign working overtime to get us to embrace this bitter green, right?) Then two years ago I planted some dwarf kale plants in my kitchen garden. I chose them because I liked the way the curly leaves looked and figured I could use the baby greens in salad. Crazy thing is, these plants are still alive. They're well into their second winter and still growing green leaves despite the relentlessly low temperatures we've been having all winter. This summer I scored week after week of kale from our farm share and augmented it with my superwoman strain of perennial kale. Here are some of our favorite recipes:

MASSAGED KALE SALAD: Take a big bunch kale leaves. Slice them thin and add salt and a bit of olive oil. Massage -- yes, massage -- for 3-4 minutes. They'll break down and become soft and kind of slippery. Then make a vinaigrette with olive oil, lemon juice, and honey. Toss with  mango chunks and pepitas. We would eat this every night if I had a kale massager! For pictures and detailed instructions, check out the original source on the Food Network website.

KALE, SAUSAGE AND BLACK BEAN SOUP: Google kale and sausage and you'll find dozens of recipes on line. I've adapted one I found from theKitchn: Sautee a kielbasa or spicy sausage like chorizo. Drain the sausage and cook several small diced potatoes, onions, and garlic until soft. Add chicken broth and a large bunch of curly kale (sliced thin with stems removed). Simmer and then add 4 c of broth, thyme, bay leaf. Cook until kale is completely wilted. Add a can of drained black beans and sausage. I often add chopped up chicken thighs when I'm sautéing the onions. Today I'm going to add some leftover ham. This is a really versatile soup. Definitely tastes better the second day when I toss some new kale in for texture!

Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts

It's a tough time of year for fresh vegetables at the farmers market. I saw this in the Sunday paper right before I left for the Schenectady Greenmarket. Perfect timing. I was able to pick up brussels sprouts from Barbers Farms and Wine Crisp apples from Maynard Farms.

This yummy salad was super-easy to make. The taste of bitter sprouts with the sweet, crisp apple was perfect. I don't know that I've ever caramelized nuts before but these tasted like the ones you buy on the street in NYC in those little paper cones. I'm glad I made extra! One word of caution: The recipe specifies cooking the brussels sprouts for 8 minutes. I figured this would work as a do-ahead while I finished cooking everything else. When I sampled the salad at 7 minutes it was PERFECT. Really incredibly good. After sitting for half an hour or so and being reheated, the brussels sprouts got more bitter and the salad, though tasty was not amazing. Next time I'll cook it right before I'm ready to serve it.

Salad ingredients: oil, brussels sprouts, tart apple, salt, and rosemary. Topping: chopped walnuts, butter & sugar. For the full recipe, go to Diethood.com.