What does (fill in the blank) taste like??

[Holachicka]

So... There are lots of veggies out there that I see seeds for, or starts for that I have never tasted before.. I'm sure many of us are in the boat... I'm hoping to create a thread that anyone can ask about flavors and comparisons and get some answers! For instance, I wish that before I bought seeds and planted turnips, that I would have known that they taste like mushy radishes when cooked!


I'll start with what does kohlrabi taste like? what do you use it for?

 

[journey11]

I used to hate turnips until I learned how to cook them. (My mom never knew how to cook them when I was a kid!) Try throwing a potato in the water with them. It sucks out all the bitterness and they will be so sweet--you wouldn't believe it was a turnip!

They are also great roasted (one hour in oven, 400 degrees, cover dish with foil). I did some up the other day with mixed seasonal garden veggies (had the turnips stored from spring in my crisper drawer in the fridge). The red new potatoes I threw in the mix did the same trick. They will be sweet and good.

Also, don't leave turnips in the ground past when spring temps go up to 70. They'll be woody and tough. They do best as a fall crop really. Like kale and brussels sprouts, they improve after a frost. I love the greens too.

Butter and salt...that's all I need on them!

Now, kohlrabi... I've never had it. So my curiosity is with you on that one!

 

[patandchickens]

Best thing to do is go buy one, at a well-stocked supermarket or produce market (oriental groceries often have good 'odd' vegetables) or at the farmers' market.

Things taste different to different people, you should try for yourself before planting a whole row

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[hoodat]

I long ago gave up trying to describe tastes. There just aren't words to express the subtlties. Apples, tangerines and bananas could all be described as "sweet" but there is little resemblance in the tastes.
In meats we so often hear things described as "tastes like chicken" but frogs legs, snake and alligator do not taste like chicken. They taste like what they are.

 

[hoodat]

I used to hate turnips until I learned how to cook them. (My mom never knew how to cook them when I was a kid!) Try throwing a potato in the water with them. It sucks out all the bitterness and they will be so sweet--you wouldn't believe it was a turnip!

They are also great roasted (one hour in oven, 400 degrees, cover dish with foil). I did some up the other day with mixed seasonal garden veggies (had the turnips stored from spring in my crisper drawer in the fridge). The red new potatoes I threw in the mix did the same trick. They will be sweet and good.

Also, don't leave turnips in the ground past when spring temps go up to 70. They'll be woody and tough. They do best as a fall crop really. Like kale and brussels sprouts, they improve after a frost. I love the greens too.

Butter and salt...that's all I need on them!

Now, kohlrabi... I've never had it. So my curiosity is with you on that one!

The nearest I can come to the taste of kohlrabi is a cross between cabbage and a mild turnip.
RE turnips, if you want one that never turns bitter try the Japanese white turnip. It also tolerates heat better although it prefers cool weather and is liable to bolt if the soil gets too warm.
I like mild turnips mixed with mashed potatos. It gives the potatos more flavor. Just mash them up together.

 

[wifezilla]

what does kohlrabi taste like? what do you use it for?

I have only eaten kohlrabi fresh. To me it has a creamy texture, is slightly sweet, and has a mild cabbage flavor.

 

[ducks4you]

I hate eggplant. I have TRIED to like it. I love most vegetables. I'm the only one in my family willing to enjoy lima beans, and I've figured out how to enjoy swiss chard, though I don't like it raw. I am an adventerous eater. I even order an anchovie pizza for my birthday every year, but I'm not brave enough to eat sushi, since people have gotten sick on it.

Any suggestions? It looks SSSOOOOO pretty and I know that it's healthy.

 

[Holachicka]

Oh I love eggplant! my experience has been that it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with... My fave is to saute it in olive oil, with garlic, salt and potato cubes... YUMMY!!!

 

[hoodat]

Oh I love eggplant! my experience has been that it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with... My fave is to saute it in olive oil, with garlic, salt and potato cubes... YUMMY!!!

I'm very fond of eggplant parmagiana, especially with a mushroom layer between the eggplant and the sauce.

 

[journey11]

Here is an eggplant recipe my mom gave me from the newspaper. I can't wait to try it, if the bugs will let me have any eggplant this year!

Eggplant Stacks

1 large eggplant, sliced into 8 slices about 1/4" thick (don't use the ends)
1 large green pepper, sliced into 8 rounds (don't use the ends)
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 8 slices (don't use the ends)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tbsp finely minced garlic, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
8 slices of mozzerella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (not the powdery type)
Salt and pepper

Slice the veggies so that you have 8 serving size rounds. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with oilve oil and place in a 9x13 pan that is lined with parchment paper. Salt and pepper this layer. Place the green pepper rounds on the eggplant. Fill the pepper round with chopped onions. Sprinkle each round with 1/4 tsp minced garlic. Salt and pepper this layer. Top the round with about 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms each, then with the slices of mozzerella cheese. Top with one or two slices of tomato, depending on the size. Drizzle or lightly brush the stack with olive oil. Salt and pepper the tomatoes.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and continue baking for 10 minutes more or until the parmesan is melted.