No!!!

I'm devastated. The tomato crop at our CSA was hit by late blight. We got 3.5 pounds of green tomatoes. The rest is a total loss. No heirloom giants. No green zebras. No pick your own cherry tomatoes til you're sick. Nothin'.

I could literally go on for days about how this depresses me. Even my husband blamed his foul mood on the lack of farm tomatoes the other evening. It's just plain sad.

So before I drag everyone down with me, let me look at what has been successful this season...

Herbs...plenty of everything. Lots of basil for pesto. Plenty of dill. Lovage coming out the ears. I do wish more cilantro had been planted, but what are you gonna do.

Berries...oh my! TONS of blueberries. Plenty of raspberries, none tainted with mold despite the rains. Lots of strawberries got put up.

Eggplant...already yielding plenty. I only wish my oven weren't so antiquated as it won't broil anything properly because it leaks heat like a sieve.

Lettuce...lots of. New varieties this year. Always in tip top shape.

Corn...excellent copious flavourful corn on the cob by early August.

Kohlrabi...huh??

This is the year I have come to love kohlrabi. Instead of just hiding it in a soup or julienned in an asian stir-fry, I got creative. Kohlrabi is round, right? Meatballs are round, yes? There were plenty of small kohlrabi available in the big baskets for the mix & match 4 pound option at the farm stand. Before you quickly click away saying I'm nuts, let me show you...


Kohlrabi Balls and Spaghetti

12-18 small kohlrabi, 1-2" in diameter
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1 T. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
a few grinds of black pepper
2 T. margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 T. olive oil
1 vegan vegetable herb bouillon cube
1 tsp. dried onion powder or dried finely minced onion
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 T. cornstarch + 3 T. warm water
1/2 box whole grain spaghetti

Cut ends off kohlrabi & peel
them. (If the greens are still
attached and in good condition,
you can saute them or put
them in a soup, etc.)

Puree the tomatoes & Worcest-
ershire sauce in a food processor
or blender briefly.

In a medium pot over medium
heat, add margarine, olive oil &
bouillon. When margarine has
melted, add pureed tomato
mixture, salt, pepper, onion
powder & water. Bring to a boil.
Add the kohlrabi. Cover, reduce
heat to medium-low and simmer
for 45 minutes until kohlrabi is
just tender.

Uncover pot. Add paprika.
Allow kohlrabi & sauce to
simmer for another 15
minutes to reduce slightly.

Bring another large pot of
water to a boil and add
spaghetti. Cook 8-12 minutes
until tender. Drain spaghetti.

Mix together the cornstarch and warm water. Remove kohlrabi sauce from heat and slowly add cornstarch mixture a few teaspoons at a time, stirring it in to the cooling sauce. Sauce should thicken. Ladle over hot spaghetti and serve.