Alien Vegetables?

I use two tablespoons salt, the juice of one to two lemons, and three tablespoons butter. Simmering time can range from five minutes to a half hour depending on the thickness of the asparagus.

KOHLRABI

A member of the turnip family, (and hence it's sweet turnip like taste), kohlrabi has pale green bulbs attached to long leafy greens, both of which are edible. Make sure the bulbs are firm and the greens have no yellow spots. It is available spring through fall.

Kohlrabi has a number of uses including soups and stews but I like it best in salads, particularly the bulbs. Cut off the bulbs and peel them just as you would a turnip. Slice them thin and toss them in with your salad.

They add a crunchy and tasty dimension to the tried and true salad mixes. You can also sauté either slices of the bulb in butter or the leaves in garlic and oil like Swiss chard.

PARSNIPS

Parsnips are not that exotic of a vegetable and most people have heard of them. But I don't think they are used as often as they should be. Parsnips, available year round, are a yellowish white root vegetable that taste similar to carrots.

Choose ones that are firm with minimal spotting. Parsnips are amenable to most cooking methods. Peel them and then cut them into chunks and roast them just as you would potatoes or carrots.

Use them in making stock, (particularly vegetable stock), in place of, or in addition to carrots. Slice and boil them, also like carrots. Or, one of my favorites, make mashed parsnips. Peel and thinly slice a pound of parsnips. Boil for about an hour.

Drain, and then mash them in a food processor until very smooth. Return them to the pot and add butter, cream, and salt. (Sugar is an optional ingredient). Stir and heat them until all the ingredients are incorporated.

I'll leave the amount of butter and cream up to your dietary parameters but I use at least three tablespoons of butter and four ounces of cream.

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