Composed Kohlrabi Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This post is in honor of my grandpa Ted. When I was young, my family and I vacationed at his summer farm in Pennsylvania. He always kept a garden, (pretty good for a retired lawyer), and spoke highly and frequently of kohlrabi. He paid tribute to his crunchy crop so often, to this day I think of him whenever I see it. As with spring peepers, which I spent countless vacation hours crouching in my rubber boots stalking, catching, and stashing in my hat before giving in and letting them all go. Thinking about him and his farm brings back good memories.

When I recently purchased a fresh bunch of kohlrabi from Vanessa at Full Sun Farm, I instantly thought of Gramps. Here is an easy recipe, which I hope he will approve?

Composed Kohlrabi Salad with Basil Vinaigrette:

*1-2 kohlrabi with greens

*4 cloves garlic

*1/4 cup white wine vinegar

*1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

*1 Tbsp honey

*2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

*sea salt and pepper

*1 Tbsp butter

*squeeze of lemon

*1 Tbsp sesame seeds

*1/4 cup parmesan shavings

Combine 2 cloves of garlic with the vinegar, honey, and basil in a blender. Blend. With blade running, slowly add olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Rinse and chop kohlrabi greens. Mince garlic. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic briefly before adding greens to skillet. Add a splash of water and saute for 1 minute. Salt and pepper to taste. Add squeeze of lemon. Remove from heat.

Peel or cut away skin from kohlrabi. Slice in very thin rounds. On a plate, arrange a pinch of the wilted greens between alternating slices of kohlrabi. Spoon vinaigrette over composition. Sprinkle with ample parmesan shavings and sesame seeds.