Kohlrabi Greens with Garlic

Kohlrabi is a funky-looking vegetable that is surprisingly delicious. I forgot to take a picture of the whole bulb with greens before jumping into this recipe--you can see the bulb part (also edible) in my picture of my CSA haul from the Colvins this week. The greens are very similar to collard greens, so the cooking process is similar (actually, you can use them virtually interchangeably). If you don't have enough greens from the "tops" in your CSA box, you can always do a pot of braised mixed greens. [This is also a nice recipe if you need a vegetarian version of collard greens…but who leaves out bacon if they have it on hand?!]

Kohlrabi Greens with Garlic
~from World Vegetarian

• 1 pound kohlrabi greens (weighed after all coarse stems have been cut off; my 3 kohlrabi gave me about 1/2 a pound, so I halved the recipe)
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 dried hot chile*
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t. salt

*if you don't have one or want to add heat at the table, you can sub in dried red chile flakes to taste

1. Wash leaves well and slice into thin strips.
   
2. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. When hot, put in dried chile, if using. Stir once. Add garlic and stir once or twice--don't let it burn! Add leaves, salt, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn down heat to low, and simmer until leaves are tender. This will take 3/4-1 1/2 hours, depending on size and age of leaves. Just let it do its thing while you decide what else to make for dinner. Like collards, these won't get meltingly soft until they've cooked a LONG time; it's okay if they still have some texture.
3. Stir occasionally, and when leaves are done to your liking, serve them up hot!
4. Serving suggestion: you can use the pot liquor leftover to serve over rice, dip cornbread into, or eat with beans. Or just serve the cooked greens as a side dish.

~Serves 4-6