Kohlrabi Slaw

"You are one of the few," said the man behind the counter at TomatoLand. "Hardly anyone knows what to do with kohlrabi."

I just like the gnarly bulb – the way it looks. I had some image of maybe using it as a weapon. Irene told me it would be better to slice & eat it with hummus. Delicious, but no color contrast. Then somewhere I picked up this recipe. Be careful when slicing; kohlrabi is so dense it can slip off the cutting board ahead of the knife. Slice a piece from the bottom to make it lie flat.

Kohlrabi Slaw

Julienne 1 carrot & 2 kohlrabi.

Toss with dressing of:

rice vinegar

olive oil

toasted sesame oil (just a drop or two)

ground toasted fennel seed (Lightly brown the seed in a little iron skillet, then pulverize using mortar & pestle.

salt to taste

Threads

These threads helped finish my little Night Owls quilt. Quilters Unlimited says we can't discuss it ... so, shhhh! I hate not showing the final quilt. (It's for the annual members' challenge.) But here - take this inspiration, a video of Kiran Sethi, who believes in kids. I've begun tutoring, back fussing about what makes people learn. For me, it's color. And words.

Baked Onions & Rice

In the hot, slow weeks I've been changing, just like that Beautyberry bush I see. It's added purple clusters -- I've changed the way we eat. More fruits & vegetables. Clark hasn't complained. In fact, he's pulled in his belt a couple of notches. Here's a delicious combo we had the other night: Baked Onions & Rice, served with lentils cooked with that (expensive, delicious) Sukhi's spice packet. Easy. But the oven did heat up the kitchen. I should have made cookies too, but is that a vegetable?

Baked Onions & Rice

1 1/2 lb. onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 1/2 C. chicken stock, heated

3/4 C. long-grain rice

3 T. butter (optional)

1 tsp. salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place sliced onions in a saucepan & cover with stock. Simmer, covered, 7 minutes. Add the rice. Pour into a casserole with lid. Bake, covered, until rice is soft, 25-35 minutes. Add salt & butter, if desired.

*I think I cut this from one of Lee Bailey's beautiful big cookbooks -- City Food, I think. It has some pages torn out.