I am so excited to be adding a "Local" category to the blog because this week we received our first vegetable share from the Woodside CSA. Our farm is in Andover, NJ and our farmer, who I am excited to meet is named Sergio. What a great name! I was ramping up for an overstock of rhubarb but I was surprised to receive: radishes, lettuce greens, kohlrabi, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard and turnips. I was happily overwhelmed by the variety and possibilities. Rocco came over and prepared our first local dish, a kohlrabi pasta in a light garlic and tomato sauce. It was delicious! 
Kohlrabi is known in Sicily as Cavolo and it looks like a big light green bulb with leaves like collard greens.
Everyone at the CSA was wondering if the leaves were edible. Rocco used the soft leaves in the sauce and the rest was for the Bearded Dragon Irwin's salad so the answer is yes. The sauce was so simple and wonderful. Even Mike liked it even though it was green, so you know it was good. Rocco delivered.
PASTA CON CAVOLO
1 large kohlrabi root sliced plus the leaves chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 C. tomatoes (fresh or canned) chopped
dash of peperoncino (hot red chili flakes)
2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 lb. fettucini pasta
In a big pot filled with salted water boil the kohlrabi leaves and slices of kholrabi root until they are soft. Meanwhile in a sauce pan, add a couple of TBSP of olive oil and sautee the garlic, peperoncino and tomatoes until it forms a nice thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper. When the kohlrabi are soft, after about 15-20 minutes, add the pasta directly in the boiling pot of kholrabi with a handful or salt. Cook the pasta until al dente then drain and add everything back to the pot. Pour the tomato sauce over the kholrabi and season with fresh pepper and more extra virgin olive oil.
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