Gluten-free/Grain-free/Salad/Spring/Summer

Purslane salad with blueberries

Posted on by Anna

This year really turns out to be a big experiment with leaves I either did not know or simply didn’t use before in the kitchen. Again it was the little market store of an elderly couple on my local market that is selling nothing but leaves from their garden that provided me with yet another new green sensation! Chances are good, that in june and july you’ll also be able to find it on the market. While up to last year I had never come across it, this year one could find it all over the market.

Purslane // Form Hand To Mouth

Indeed purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is often thought of as a weed in the garden and actually reminded me strongly of my potted succulent plants. I later learned that it indeed belongs to the succulents with its thick leaves and stems. However it is not just looking quite ‘interesting’, but also tastes great and is extremely nutritious. The leaves are somewhat crunchy and yet very juicy with a lemony flavour – perfect for a summer salad like this one especially in combination with the slightly tart sweetness of the blueberries. But it can also be steamed or lightly stir-fried. When I asked some Turkish sellers on the market what to do with it, they told me they are using it like spinach and for example use it to fill boreks with.

It gets even better: Purslane contains quite high amounts of Vitamin A, C, and E – a powerful antioxidant. In fact, it provides six times more vitamin E than spinach and seven times more beta carotene than carrots. It is also a good source for the minerals magnesium, calcium and potassium. Most surprisingly Purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) than any other leafy vegetable plant. Our bodies need, but cannot produce omega-3 as well as omega-6 fatty acids, hence they are called essential. However, our modern diet is often lacking omega-3 fatty acid and an imbalance in the omaga-3 and omega-6 ratio can be harmful. So far I only knew of flax seeds and oily fish as sources of omega-3 fatty acids. But isn’t it quite cool, that this little plant is an additional supplier? (For detailed information on fats, see Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon).

So this salad is not only fresh and light, but also quite healthy. To make it even more so – and because I love the taste – I added one of my favorite fermented foods: preserved lemons. I have been wanting to make these for years, but always shunned the ‘effort’. Now that I made them, I can assure you: it’s no effort at all and one glass with 4 large lemons will easily last for half a year.

Preserved Lemons // From Hand To Mouth

How to make preserved lemons

You’ll need:

4 large organic lemons + additional juice of 3 lemons

5-6 tbsp sea salt

spices according to your taste, I used 4 bay leaves, 1 tsp allspice berries, 5 cardamom pods

1 wide-mouth glass jar (750ml-1l) with a lid

You might want to sterilize the jar with boiling water for about 15 minutes. Then scrub the lemons under running water. Slice off the stem end and the tip end of each lemon. Starting at one end, cut the lemons in half lengthwise, but stop about 1 cm before you reach the bottom. Make another cut, so that you’ve got quarters, but don’t cut all the way through; they should still be attached at the bottom. Liberally sprinkle salt on the inside and outside of the lemons. Hold them open with your fingers and really get the salt inside them. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt to the bottom of the jar (and the spices, if you are using them). Place the lemons in the jar and push them down  to release the juices. Add the additional lemon juice and maybe some water, because the lemons need to be be completely submerged in juice. Add 2 more tablespoons of salt to the top. Seal the jar. Let the jar sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Make sure the lemons are covered with liquid, you might want to shake the glass a little to distribute the salt and liquids. After a few days, put the jar in the refrigerator; the lemons will be ready in about three weeks, when the rinds have softened. When using, discard the seeds and maybe rinse the lemons with water if you find them too salty. They will keep in the fridge for about six month.

But now, the salad recipe:

a big bunch of purslane ( at least 10 stems)

a handful of arugula

1/2 preserved lemon

50g feta

50g blueberries

½ avocado

5-7 radishes

1/2 salad cucumber

1 small bunch of dill

2 tbsp pink pepper berries

juice of 1/2 lime

2 tbsp good quality olive oil

1 tsp dijon mustard

sea salt and black pepper

a handful of radish sprouts (optional but delicious)

Purslane salad with blueberries // From Hand To Mouth

Rinse the purslane and arugula and pat dry. Pick the purslane leaves from the stems and chop the more tender stems in small pieces. Chop cucumber, radishes, avocado, preserved lemon, feta and dill and mix with the leaves. Top with blueberries, pink pepper and sprouts (if using). To make the dressing: whisk together oil, lime juice, mustard, salt and pepper and drizzle over the salad.

 

 

Gluten-free/Grain-free/Main dish/Summer

Collard greens with chickpeas & aubergine

Posted on by Anna

This is a very simple dish – in fact it’s so simple that I wasn’t sure whether to put it up on the blog. BUT it is a great recipe to use any of the tougher, darker greens such as collard greens, leftover kohlrabi leaves, that should never be tossed out since they are containing more vitamins than the actual bulb, broccoli leaves or kale. I quite like to ‘challenge’ myself to eat leafy greens with every meal of the day: in a green smoothie, as a side salad or – as in this case – in an easy to prepare lunch or mid-week dinner. Why? Because green leaves – and especially the darker varieties such as the ones from the brassica family like collard greens and kale – are among the most nutrient-dense foods to be found on the planet. They contain a very high amount of Vitamin A, which is a powerful antioxidant and might therefore help to prevent cancer and aging, vitamin C and especially K, that is important for bone formation. Vitamin A and K belong to the fat-soluble vitamins, so in order to make them available for the body, leafy greens should be eaten with some fat. Simply add a little butter to your wilted greens or add some avocado to your green smoothie. Dark leafy greens also contain quite a lot of calcium, iron and manganese, which plays an important role for healthy nerves, a healthy immune system and blood sugar regulation. They are also said to help cardiovascular support and to have cholesterol lowering abilities (for more details see here).

collard greens

Unfortunately, while kale is a very traditional winter vegetable in northern Germany, it is not available the whole year round. So I was very happy to discover collard greens on my local market instead! They aren’t very common in Germany, but luckily I stumbled upon a recipe in Sally Butcher’s gorgeous book Veggistan, which inspired this little recipe. Next to roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, I find nothing else so comforting and grounding than the combination of aubergine, tomatoes and salty cheese, like in the Italian classic parmigiana di melanzane. Now you’ll understand why I fell in love with this beautiful summer dish that is perfect for the slightly cooler nights in between.

Just before we start, a little note on spices: I am not a big fan of most kitchen devices, such as bread slicing machines or egg cookers…but: since for me spices (and herbs) are the essentials in my kitchen, I do think a mortar & pestle as well as a grater are very handy. Freshly roasted and then ground spices taste soooo much better! Believe me. Plus, I just had a look on something on the supermarket shelf that was called ‘nutmeg seasoning’. The first ingredient on the list was not – surprise – ground nutmeg, but wheat bran. Possibly to make it taste like something they also added flavourings, plant oil and colourings. Um…I’ll rather grate my own nutmeg, thank you.

Nutmeg

Collard greens with chickpeas & aubergine 

(Serves one hungry person or two more moderate ones)

8-10 leaves of collard greens (substitute with kohlrabi or broccoli leaves or kale)

1 large aubergine

2 tomatoes

200g cooked chickpeas

50g Feta cheese

1 red onion

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp. cumin seeds

2 tsp. hot paprika

a generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and sea salt

generous knob of coconut oil or ghee

some leaves of parsley or mint to serve (optional)

I use to cook chickpeas in bulk and freeze a part, so I’ve got them ready at hand for quick recipes like this one. If you are using dried ones, remember to soak them for at least 12 hours to help break down the phytic acids and ease digestion (see here how to prepare pulses).

Chop the collard greens into about 2cm thick slices. Quarter and slice the aubergine, dice the tomatoes and the feta. Finely chop the onion and the garlic. Add coconut oil or ghee to a pan and sauté the onions on medium heat, then add the aubergine and about 2 minutes later the collard greens, garlic and spices. After about 3-5 minutes, the greens should be wilted but not overcooked. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes, cover pan with a lid and let simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes until you’ve got a nice sauce from the tomatoes (add some water in case it to dry). Just before serving stir in the feta crumbs. Sprinkle with parsley or mint leaves and enjoy!

Gluten-free/Grain-free/Soup/Spring/Vegan

Cauliflower soup with broad beans & almond-parsley-pesto

Posted on by Anna

To be honest, this soup was really just the result of a using-up-everything-that-is-to-be-found-in-the-fridge challenge. But it makes a very nice midweek supper and is incredibly versatile and will work with different products along the seasons’ course. So feel free to play around with the recipe!

In this case, this is a real early summer soup. Star of the dish are the broad beans. Their season is rather short – I only ever see them on the market from late may to mid july. Their preparation is coming with some effort, but believe me: it is definitely worth it for the really taste like spring! I bought them in bulk of one or two kilograms, podded them all in one sitting (2 kg whole beans will leave you with ca. 500g podded beans), used some at once and froze the rest (with their lighter skin still on). They will keep in the freezer for about two month. So the other day, I made a spring risotto with the broad beans, green asparagus, goat’s cheese and lemon zest or used them in a buckwheat salad along with green beans, radishes and dill…there are many, many options.

But coming back to this little soup: another reason I thought it made it worthwhile sharing is the almond-parsley pesto. For this pesto is one of my most used condiments. It is essentially made from leftovers and can be made in endless variations – sounds pretty good, eh? The base for this pesto are, of course, almonds. Or rather: the almond pulp you are left with after making almond milk.

A little excursion: A note on plant based milks and how to make homemade almond milk

Like I wrote before, I have been living vegan for about two years and therefore have tested various milk alternatives. The first thing, I noticed, is that they all contain quite a lot of sugar. I was able to find only one brand of soy milk that contained no added sugar! But then I believe that along with soy products there are quite a few problems anyway (read about it in this note on legumes).While oat, spelt or rice milk may be better alternatives, I really thought them to be too sweet for any everyday use. So in my opinion the two best plant milks are by far almond and coconut milk and of the two almond milk is my go-to choice for coffee and porridge. It is very easy to make as well, all you need is:

200g whole almonds

2 litres water

pinch of sea salt

a fine cheesecloth

a blender

a glass container to store it

Soak the almonds over night in 1 litre of water and add a pinch of sea salt. The salt is optional, but it’ll help break down enzyme inhibitors that prevent the nuts from sprouting and can neutralize our own enzymes, therefore making raw nuts hard to digest. On the next day, discard the water and rinse the nuts well. Place in a blender together with about 1 litre of FRESH water. Blend well for about 2 minutes. Strain the ‘milk’ through a fine cheese cloth and that’s it! You’ ll be left with delicious almond milk (by the way, very much cheaper than store bought almond milk!) and almond pulp that is no less precious. It is great in porridges of any kind or as a base for dips and – as you’ll see – pesto. Just one little warning: almond milk is turning rancid rather quickly, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it within 2-3 days.

But now to the actual recipe. I made the soup with cauliflower and leek (because that’s what I found in the fridge), but you could substitute the cauliflower with broccoli or use any other white vegetable such as celeriac, parsnips or jerusalem artichoke. The same applies to the pesto. Use the almond pulp as a base and add either parsley, basil, mint, wild garlic or all of them. When I am making mint-pea soup, I make it with coarsely puréed peas and mint as a ‘topping’ for the soup. This pesto is also the perfect companion for zucchini noodles.

1 cauliflower

1 leek

1 litre vegetable stock (optional)

1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp whole almonds, roughly chopped

100g broad beans (fava beans)

sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg

For the almond-parsley pesto:

100g almond pulp (you could use roasted whole almonds and grind them in a food processor, but in this case omit the oil)

2 tbsp olive oil

a big bunch of flat-leaf parsley, set a few leaves aside to garnish

juice of 1/2 lemon

sea salt and black pepper

To make the pesto, blend all ingredients in a bowl with a hand-held blender. Add a little water or some extra oil if it’s too thick (I tend to leave it rather thick and add a little liquid depending on the way I want it to use later). The pesto will keep in the fridge for about a week, cover with oil for better preservation.

To make the soup, simply cut the cauliflower in small florets – setting a few aside for the topping. Slice the leek and braise in a large pot in 1 tbsp coconut oil until soft. Add cauliflower florets and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the broth or plain water. Everything should be covered. Let simmer for about 30 min until the cauliflower has become soft. Purée the soup with a hand-held blender.

In the meantime, cook the broad beans. They will only need a few minutes, so be careful, not to overcook them. Remove the outer skin (you could eat it, but I’m finding it too bitter) and set aside. Roast the almonds in a pan without oil. Fry the leftover cauliflower florets in the remaining coconut oil and season with a little salt and pepper.

Serve the soup with a big dollop of the pesto and top with broad beans, cauliflower florets, almonds and parsley.

cauliflower soup with broad beans and almond-parsley pesto

 

 

 

 

 

Gluten-free/Grain-free/Sweet treats

Bittersweet life – Intense flourless chocolate cake

Posted on by Anna

As I have mentioned, when writing about my inspirations, I’ve recently quit sugar – that is to say, especially fructose (table sugar is 50:50 fructose and glucose). I used to be a real sugar addict, ‘needing’ either dark chocolate or lots of fruit after dinner, having horrible cravings and eventually binge-eating attacks. This is not supposed to be any kind of advertisement for a specific diet program, but I can truly recommend to everyone to cut back on sugar and refined carbs for I think science is clearly indicating its damaging effects. You can start reading about it here and here. Or listen to Dr. Robert Lustig’s talk on why not all calories are equal.

To me it was really shocking how much sugar we are consuming ‘accidentally’ each day. Not just by eating candy or gulping down soft drinks, but via low-fat dairy products, condiments such as chili sauce and balsamic vinegar or by supposedly healthy juices and dried fruit. And then on top come fruit and ‘treats’. Not good.

So I really had a hard time deciding, whether I wanted to post any more sweet recipes. I adjusted previous recipes, using stevia or rice malt syrup instead of sugar and honey. And this beautiful cake is also one that I made before I started the 8-week ‘I quit sugar’ programme. Eventually I decided to post it, while advising everyone to eat as little sugar as possible each and every single day in order to enjoy a piece of cake on a special occasion, such as a birthday. This was such a special occasion, hence the beautiful, beautiful peonies!

Peony

So much about the bitter truth, now to the sweet bit. This recipe is originally to be found in Harry Eastwood’s Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache. Which I highly recommend to everyone, who is baking often, especially spongy layer cakes and cupcakes. All recipes include vegetables – how cool is that!? There is not just another take on carrot cake, but parsnip, courgette, squash, swede, sweet potato everywhere! She has tested the recipes a dozen times and the results are fantastic. Not some ‘healthy’, yet weird cakes, but cakes that are superior in taste and texture. I have to admit that when I bake I rather have a go on a tart or a cheesecake, which – naturally – are not to be found in the book. But this one is a real stunner and very much to my liking. Incredibly intense in its flavour, slightly moist without being too dense and really quite delicate. I only slightly adjusted the recipe.

Chocolate Heartache Cake-92

Peony

Intense flourless chocolate cake

2 small aubergines (about 400g)

300g high-quality dark chocolate (75-80%), roughly chopped

50g good-quality cacao powder, plus extra for dusting

60g ground almonds

3 medium organic eggs

180g rice malt syrup (since rice malt syrup isn’t as sweet as honey, you might want to add a little more depending on the cacao percentage of the chocolate you chose)

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Heartache Cake-95

Start by peeling the and dicing the aubergine. Place in a pot with a tiny dash of water and cook until they’re soft and mushy. Be very careful not to either burn or drown them in water. Discard any leftover water. Purée aubergine in a food processor or with a hand-held blender. Add the chopped chocolate and make sure it is melting completely (if it’s not, place the mixture again on low heat).

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line the base of a 23 cm loose-bottomed cake tin with parchment paper and brush the sides with a little coconut oil. In a large bowl whisk together all remaining ingredients until the batter becomes slightly bubbly. With a spatula fold in the aubergine-chocolate mixture. Pour the batter into the baking tin and place in the bottom of the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven, but let it cool in its tin for 15 minutes – it’s hard to wait, I know. Then remove from the tin and sift a little cocoa powder over the top. The cake is delicious when served still warm. Serve with some goat’s or sheep’s yoghurt and/or some berries to cut through the rich chocolate flavour.

 

Gluten-free/Grain-free/Salad/Spring/Vegan

Chickpea-cauliflower salad with sorrel & rhubarb

Posted on by Anna

Today’s dish is all about sorrel. I am using many leafy greens in my cooking, but the sorrel’s sourness truly makes it something special and gives it the ability to upgrade basically everything. It is by far my most favoured green smoothie ingredient – try half and half together with spinach, some mint, ginger, lime, a bit of avocado, a kiwi or a few berries – delicious! Sadly you can’t find it in the supermarket and only rarely on the market. So I can call myself really lucky to have found my personal supplier – there is a market stall on ‘my’ market that is selling nothing but green leaves grown in their own garden and I am buying a fair share of their weekly sorrel crop. That said, the best way to get hold of this vibrant ingredient is of course to grow it yourself. So if you have a garden or a balcony give it a go!

Sorrel

Key of this little salad is the balance of the warm-earthy flavour of the chickpeas, the aubergine and the cauliflower and the tartness of the sorrel and the rhubarb held together by the sweet note of the onion and the salty feta. Roasted cauliflower is a quite frequent mid-week dinner of mine – I find it incredibly soothing. Usually I am using rather a lot more spices, such a turmeric, chili and coriander seeds. In this case however we do not want to overpower the other flavours.

I also thought it’s time for a general note on the preparation of legumes and grains, since I will be using them quite a lot. First of all, I think you should always buy them dry and not precooked in a can – it is way cheaper, you are in control of the preparation and it is not really so much more time consuming if you cook them in bulk, freeze a part of them or make hummus of leftovers.

Alright, but why is it so important to either soak or sprout legumes and grains? Well, first of all it reduces the cooking time and we all want to save some energy, don’t we? But most importantly, the soaking/sprouting process helps to break down the phytic acid that is present in the outer layer of all grains and legumes and is their natural protection against predators (us). Phytic acid hinders the absorbtion of vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc – which can in the long run lead to serious deficiencies! Read this article for further information. Soaking will also help to neutralize so called enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds, which prevent the seed from sprouting in a dry state, but cause distress in the gastric tract and reduce protein digestion. This is also why unfermented soy products are highly problematic! Additionally legumes contain two complex sugars (farrinose and stachyose) that are hard to digest. Soaking/ sprouting will help to break these down as well. So the best way to prepare legumes and grains is to soak them for about 24 hours in slightly warm acidic water. The break down process is aided best by the addition of lactobacilli that are present in cultured dairy products such as whey, kefir or yoghurt. If you have a dairy intolerance, add a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the soaking liquid. I always use homemade kefir and at first did not quite believe, that the effect would be to be felt immediately, but trust me: this preparation will really ease digestion. An invaluable source for the knowledge about proper food preparation is Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions – which is hereby highly recommended.

But now to the recipe:

200g cooked chickpeas (chickpeas will have to be cooked for about 50-60 minutes)

1 small Aubergine

1/2 cauliflower

3 rhubarb stalks

ca. 100g sorrel

1 red onion

a few springs of dill

80g feta (optional)

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp freshly grounded cumin, allspice and nutmeg

1tsp sumach

75ml rosé wine

1-2 tsp rice malt syrup

1 tsp almond butter

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Divide the cauliflower in florets of the same size. Dice the aubergine (but not to thinly otherwise it will be ready much earlier than the cauliflower). In an ovenproof dish mix with the freshly ground spices, a generous pinch of sea salt and 1 tbsp melted coconut oil. Roast the vegetables for about 30 minutes – the should have become tender, yet still be a little ‘al dente’.

Chop the rhubarb in ca. 3cm pieces; in another ovenproof dish, whisk together rosé, syrup and a little salt and allspice. Toss the rhubarb in the mixture, making sure it is all covered with some liquid. Place for about 10 minutes in the oven – make sure it does not fall apart but retains its shape. Keep the liquid for the dressing!

Slice the onion quite thinly. Let it slowly caramelize in a saucepan with a thick bottom in 1 tbsp coconut oil until it’s very soft and nicely browned. This will take 15-20 minutes. In another pan fry the chickpeas in some coconut oil, to the end adding sea salt and sumach. Meanwhile chop the sorrel, dill and feta (if using).

In a bowl carefully mix chickpeas, the roasted vegetables, the rhubarb and the onion. To make the dressing whisk together the rosé liquid and the almond butter and season to taste with sea salt and allspice or black pepper. Mix with the ingredients and top with the feta, sorrel and dill.

Gluten-free/Grain-free/Spring/Starters & Light Meals/Summer

Fennel carpaccio with grilled asparagus & roasted onions with pomegranate

Posted on by Anna

Full-fledged spring in Germany is only officially acknowledged with the start of the “Spargel Saison” – the asparagus season. The white one, mind you. His green brother is treated rather stepmotherly – no one can shine next to the “king of vegetables”. Every region has the one village where supposedly the best stems are growing. In Berlin there is something like a cult about the asparagus from the Brandenburg village Beelitz. There is so much “Beelitzer Spargel” on the market that one wonders whether this village might indeed equal the size of Berlin…

Fennel carpaccio with grilled asparagus

However, while I enjoy the yearly ritual of the classical white asparagus dish, I actually much prefer the green one. It is easier to prepare – no shaving necessary – and one doesn’t even have to cook it, but can sauté it directly in the pan. A gorgeous topping for every spring salad, risotto or pasta dish! So I thought I am going to make it the star of todays post with a rather minimalist recipe that lives of its ingredient’s individual flavours rather than some fuss.

I stumbled a while ago upon this beautiful little onion and pomegranate side dish, which has what it takes to become the centre of attention on every table. There is little more beautiful (we are talking edibles) than a pomegranate, is there? So I thought why not align the king of vegetables with the queen of fruits. And I can tell you, it’s a truly great combination. The warmth of the roasted onions sets a delicious balance to the freshness of the asparagus and the fennel. Serve as a starter to a stunning spring menu.

Roasted red onion with pomegranate seeds

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
60ml pomegranate molasses (make sure, you don’t buy one that is additionally sweetened!)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 springs of fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 medium red onions, peeled, each cut into 8 wedges through core, with some core still attached to each piece

ca. 80g fresh pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp finely grated orange peel

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 220°C. Peel the onions, and cut into 8 wedges. Cut through the core, but make sure that some core is still attached to each piece. Whisk first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Place onions in an ovenproof dish and toss gently in the dressing. Arrange onions close together, 1 cut side down; spoon with the dressing. Roast 20 minutes. Using a small spatula, carefully turn onions over. Continue to roast onions until tender and thickly coated with glaze, watching to prevent overbrowning, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven.

For the topping, mix pomegranate seeds, parsley, and orange peel in small bowl.
Arrange warm or room-temperature onions on platter. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over and serve.
Fennel carpaccio with grilled asparagus
1 fennel bulb
1 mozzarella di bufala
ca. 200g green asparagus
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp salt preserved capers
3 anchovy fillets
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
2 tbsp flat leave parsley, chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds
freshly ground black pepper
capers
Trimm the fennel and set the green fonds aside to decorate with later. Shave as thinly as possible with a mandoline or a sharp knife. Arrange like a fan on a plate. Roast the fennel seeds in a pan without oil and set aside. Cut off hard ending of the asparagus and grill a few minutes in a griddle pan, until just tender. Slice the mozzarella. Wash of excess salt of the capers and the anchovies and chop both a little. Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Arrange asparagus on top of the fennel, and place the mozzarella above. Sprinkle with capers, anchovies, fennel seeds, parsley, fennel fonds, drizzle with the dressing and season generously with black pepper.
Main dish/Spring/Vegan

Spelt tagliatelle with caramelized kohlrabi & rhubarb

Posted on by Anna

This is a truly delicious spring pasta dish. Very easy to make, but with a unique flavour combination of the warm and yet fresh taste of the kohlrabi, the rhubarb’s  sharp sweetness and the nutty aroma of the spelt and the hazelnuts. Kohlrabi is very common in Germany, however it is most often found in a quite uninspired  way – simply added as raw sticks to kid’s lunch boxes.  While undoubtedly healthy, it is at this point where many people’s dislike for this beautiful vegetable starts.

I find the freshness of raw kohlrabi is highlighted best, when its finely shredded in a salad together with carrots or in some kind of cabbage slaw with lots of lemon juice and spices. However I love it most, when sautéd or roasted and a slight sweetness emerges. My mum uses to make a very simple, but incredibly comforting dish, by sautéing the kohlrabi dices together with its leaves (they are edible), seasoning it with nothing but salt and pepper and then adding some flour to make a withe roux. So give the odd kohlrabi a try – it’s versatile and enriching!

250g whole grain spelt tagliatelle (use buckwheat or brown rice pasta for a gluten-free version)

1 medium sized kohlrabi

250g rhubarb

2 shallots

1 tbsp butter (for a vegan version, substitute with coconut oil)

2 tbsp maple syrup or rice malt syrup

1 thyme spring

dash of apple cider vinegar

50g hazelnuts

1 tsp pink peppercorns

sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste

fennel green (optional)

Tagliatelle with kohlrabi & rhubarb

While cooking the pasta, chop the kohlrabi and the rhubarb into similar sized sticks. Scatter the roughly chopped hazelnuts in a frying pan and roast for a few minutes without oil, then set aside. Make sure the pan is not too hot before melting the butter and sautéing the finely diced shallots. Allow them to braise for at least 5 minutes, they will set a nice sweet balance to the sharpness of the rhubarb, but be careful not to burn them. Add the kohlrabi and few minutes later than the rhubarb. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the maple or rice malt syrup and let caramelize on medium to low heat. Finally add about 3 tbsp of the pasta’s cooking water and a dash of apple cider vinegar so that you end up with a sauce. Drain the pasta, transfer to the pan and mix with the vegetables, so that it can soak up the sauce. Sprinkle generously with the pink pepper corns, the hazelnuts and the fennel greens, if using, and serve immediately.

 

Tagliatelle with kohlrabi & rhubarb