A little courgette and kohlrabi salad

Summer

When courgettes are young, they’re great eaten raw, particularly if they haven’t long been off the plant. They have a nutty bite, gentle flavour and like nothing more than something sharp to bring out their charm. Kohlrabi is another vegetable that if harvested young is wonderful eaten raw.
I’m using some apple cider vinegar to lightly pickle the veg, and the addition of some little pickled capers adds salty depth to this gorgeous, crunchy salad.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 kohlrabi
4–6 baby courgettes (depending on size), sliced into 2mm (1⁄16in) rounds
2 spring onions, trimmed and very thinly sliced
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
2 tbsp capers
1 small handful of mint, leaves picked and ribboned
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Begin by peeling the kohlrabi. The older they are, the more fibrous the skin and the darker the green flesh just beneath it. To check you’ve removed enough, simply cut away a slice and see whether it’s tender in the mouth. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the kohlrabi into ribbons. Place these in a large bowl along with the courgettes, spring onions, mustard seeds, vinegar, sugar and capers and a seasoning of a good pinch of salt and twist of black pepper.

Tumble the ingredients together, then set aside to pickle for a few hours, turning once or twice during that time.

When the kohlrabi and courgette mixture is ready, stir through the mint and parsley and trickle in the olive oil. Divide the salad between two plates or bowls and serve.

Back to Membership