Spicy Kohlrabi Remoulade with Tahini, Yogurt & Olives

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

SUBMITTED BY CASSIE KYRIAKIDES PIUMA OF SARMA, SOMERVILLE
”Delicious served as an accompaniment to meat dishes or as a meze with grilled bread and bitter leaves of endive. We find this underrated vegetable at both Siena and Verrill Farms.”

Serves 4

3 large kohlrabi, cleaned, peeled, cut into a small dice
1 cup thick Greek yogurt
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt to taste
Handful pitted green olives
Chopped handful pickles (your choice!)
Chopped 1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
½ bunch mint, roughly chopped
2 roasted Hungarian peppers (or any hot pepper), peeled, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup crispy bacon or basturma (Turkish air-dried beef rubbed with pepper paste and spiced with fenugreek, cumin, and paprika, available at some Middle Eastern markets), optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the diced kohlrabi and cook for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse under cold water; shake to dry and then dry further in a tea towel to remove all excess water.

In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Whisk until emulsified. If mixture appears oily, add a little water to make it creamy. Fold in kohlrabi, olives, pickles, parsley, mint, and hot peppers. Season with salt to taste and add more lemon if necessary. For extra flavor, garnish with bits of crispy bacon or basturma.

This story appeared in the Winter 2015 issue.