Anything pot roasted, particularly as the weather begins to cool and autumn sets in, feels like a warm and comforting blanket. So when I spied the biggest kohlrabi I have EVER seen at our local farmer’s market, it offered itself up as the perfect centerpiece for an impressive pot roast. Paired here with late summer vegetables, light herbaceous flavours and a low slow cook, everything melts in the mouth. It’s a play on the winter beet roast that’s already on the blog here.

The recipe makes tons, and the leftover roasted vegetables are great to blender into a quick sauce, dressing or soup. For the kohlrabi, shave it thinly and layer it into sandwiches or cut it into cubes and then sauté it with vegetables or grains for a quick meal. Or just sear a slice or two on a grill pan and chow down !

Yield : 6-8 servings, more if you have lots of sides

What you need :

• one really massive kohlrabi, peeled, removing as much of the tough and woody exterior fibers as you can
• one overgrown (about 14”) yellow zucchini, roll-cut into very large wedges, inner seedy stuff removed
• 7 or 8 whole small Japanese (Hakurei) turnips
• 1 fennel bulb, stemmy parts and fronds removed, halved and cut into wedges
• 1 leek, roll-cut (optional)
• zest of 1 lemon
• several sprigs of fresh thyme (use lemon thyme if it’s available)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• freshly crushed mustard seed (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled but otherwise left whole (optional)
• 1/4 cup water, white wine or vegetable stock (whichever you prefer)

What you do :

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F and have a 5-1/2 to 6 quart Dutch oven at ready.
2. Oil the kohlrabi all over with 1 tsp of olive oil and then massage the surface with a sprinkling of salt. Place the kohlrabi in the center of the Dutch oven and add a liberal sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper and a light dusting of freshly crushed/ground mustard seed if using.
3. Place the remaining vegetables (and leek if using) in a large bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and mix well. Add salt to taste and mix again. Distribute the vegetables evenly around the kohlrabi in the Dutch oven.
4. Tuck the thyme between the kohlrabi and the vegetables. Same goes for the bay leaves and cloves of garlic if using. Zest the lemon over the vegetables framing the kohlrabi.
5. Add the 1/4 cup of your preferred liquid, cover, and slow-roast in the oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. The exact amount of time will depend on how browned you want your vegetables and how big your kohlrabi is. You want a knife to slide easily into the kohlrabi without it being mushy either. The cooking liquid should be pretty much completely gone, maybe a teaspoon or two in the bottom.
6. Remove from heat and let sit 5-10 minutes, uncovered or tented in foil, before carving.