Kewl Kohlrabi

I bought kohlrabi at a farmer’s market today (yes, the farmer’s market is open for business this last day in February in San Antonio).  I’ve never had it, never cooked it, and it was one of the few things that was left at 4 pm.  Kind of like the runt in a litter.  THANK GOD.  I now love-love-love kohlrabi.  Kohlrabi=yummy in my tummy=a cross between potatoes and spinach and artichokes.  Tommy likes it too, he went back for a second taste

3 kohlrabi bulbs with leaves
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped cooked bacon (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Trim and peel the kohlrabi bulbs. Rinse the leaves (discard the stems and yellow leaves), and pat the leaves dry with paper towels. Coarsely chop the leaves and set aside. Cut the bulbs into chunks.

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the kohlrabi chunks. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile…….

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another minute or two.

Add the kohlrabi leaves to the skillet along with 1/4 cup water. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Then uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated, 3-5 minutes.

Add the drained kohlrabi chunks to the skillet, stir, and add the heavy cream and the bacon.  Stir for a few minutes until everything is heated and enjoy immediately.

Chipotle Bacon Jam

Chipotle Bacon Jam with Cream Cheese and Crostini

This dish was the first place winner at our annual Bacon cook-off at work!  It’s quite delicious.

Ingredients:
20 oz of cooked, crumbled bacon (weight after cooking)
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 chopped onion
8 chipotles en adobo (or to taste, depending on your tolerence for heat)
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1/2 tablespoon allspice
3 tablespoons ground chocolate
3 cups of brewed coffee
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cook the onion and garlic in two tablespoons of bacon fat or oil for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for two hours, stirring occasionally. If jam starts to get dry, add water, 1/4 cup at a time.

Serve warm over cream cheese accompanied by crostini.  This would also make incredibly decadent and delicious sliders – it smells like pulled pork while it’s cooking.   Mmmmmmmm.

Crostini

Once you make these from scratch you will never buy crostini (or maybe even crackers) again.  They are SO good.

French bread or Baguette bread
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Thinly slice bread.  Place slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Lightly brush both sides of sliced bread with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Bake in oven about 10-15 minutes, flipping once about halfway through cooking.  The crostini are done when they are lightly browned.

Pineapple Pound Cake

This cake is moist! Of course anything with half a pound of butter and a half dozen eggs is going to be good.

Open the can:

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple

Divide into

3/4 cup undrained pineapple in a small bowl
1 cup drained pineapple in another bowl

You don’t use the juice although I think it would be good to use it in the cake instead of milk.

Sift together then set aside:

3 cups King Arthur unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cream together until fluffy:

1 cup room temperature butter, unsalted
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (butter flavored Crisco)
2 cups granulated sugar

Beat in one at a time:

6 room temperature eggs

Add flour mixture to creamed mixture a half cup at a time, alternating with:

1/4 cup milk

Add:

3/4 cup undrained pineapple
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Mix well and spoon batter into a greased and floured 10 inch bundt or tube pan. Place in cold oven, set the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until top springs back when lightly touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

While baking, mix up the pineapple sauce:

1 cup drained pineapple
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

When cake is done remove it from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes. Gently loose around the edges and place a cooling rack on the pan then flip it. Shake gently and let the cake gently slide out onto the rack. Pour the sauce over the cake while it is still warm.

This cake is even better topped with fresh berries or fresh pineapple.