I recently stumbled upon a giant kohlrabi. Yes, kohlrabi, that strange and mysterious vegetable grown right here in good 'ol Nova Scotia. One of the many things grown here that we either do not know about or do not know how to use.

This kohlrabi, that I found at Ted Hutten's stand at the Brewery Market, must have weighed at least 5 lbs, if not more. (Ted is the man that grows interesting and obscure things on his farm. Red more about Ted in this recent article in The Coast by Melissa Buote.) What to do with kohlrabi? Well, I am about to tell you.

Little known fact; this crazy looking vegetable actually has more Vitamin C than an orange (so when you get the sniffles, reach for a kohlrabi instead of an orange). It's flavour is somewhere between sweet cabbage, cucumber and jicama. Use it raw, roasted or boiled. Any way that you choose to prepare it, this is a highly versatile vegetable.

I decided to take my ginormous kohlrabi and turn it into a simple slaw. I julienned the kohlrabi using my Benriner (Japanese mandolin), then mixed it with sesame oil, fish sauce, cilantro, mint, peanuts and fiery fresh red chilies. The sweetness of the vegetable married beautifully with the salty fish sauce and with spicy chilies. This was the perfect companion to a green beef curry that I had just made for dinner.

Not feeling this salad? Then take a page from the beautiful cookbook Jerusalem and cube the kohlrabi and mix with greek yogurt, sour cream, watercress and sumac.

Next time you see this gnarly looking vegetable, do not be afraid. Grab one, peel it and enjoy it. You will be surprised how amazing this vegetable can be.

Kohlrabi Slaw

1lb kohlrabi; peeled and julienned
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped salted peanuts
1/2 red Thai chill (or more of you like it spicy)

Mix all the ingredients and taste for seasoning.