June 12, 2013
(last updated April 15, 2014) 
Remember when I reviewed the bounty box from Relay Foods? To recap, Relay Foods is an online grocery store that serves the DC, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina area. They sell products from local stores, restaurants, and farms–from produce to speciality items–and deliver it to customers’ homes. They offer a bounty basket, which is a lot like a CSA box, full of seasonal produce from local farms, and their regular grocery section sells coffee, legumes, breads, grains, and pretty much anything else you might need.
I got a lot out of my Relay bounty box. It was bursting with greens, and I squeezed a full week of meals out of the box by combining its contents with pantry staples (nuts, seeds, beans, grains). In the process, I found new uses for a few vegetables I don’t often eat, which made me think that I might like to try the Bounty box more regularly. In the past, I always struggled with CSA boxes because I felt limited by the offerings, but now I’m finding that I really like the challenge of using new and different vegetables; left to my own devices, I tend to lose sight of variety.
Last week, I decided to get another Relay bounty box, as well as some staples from the grocery itself. The nice thing about Relay is that you can both order a bounty box (full of produce from local farms) and get some veggies and fruits (also local) a la carte from the regular grocery. I got the bounty box as well as two avocados, some red peppers, and some zucchini (all favorites), and some dried black beans. All together, I had a great deal of food for the week. Mixed in were two ingredients I don’t use often enough: radishes, which I’ve a slight aversion to but have been trying to like more, and kohlrabi, which is brand new to me.
I decided to use the radishes first, along with some of my relay greens, in a bright salad that I made for a recent vegan feast with my friend Anne. We’d not seen each other in a couple of weeks, and it felt so nice to be reunited for one of our joint dinners!!
The salad was about 4-5 cups of greens, a cup of sliced radishes, and a cup of shredded cabbage, all courtesy of relay! For the dressing, I whisked together olive oil, lemon, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper–very simple.
What made the salad sing was the addition of roasted carrots! These were easy, and so tender and sweet. I tossed about 8 small carrots in melted coconut oil, sea salt and pepper, and roasted them at 400 till tender.
They were served right over the cool greens, and the contrast was just lovely.
Dinner with Anne also featured some of that delicious beet tartare from last week.
A few days later, the absolutely adorable Hannah arrived here in DC. She’s staying with me right now, which has been lovely. I consulted her on what to do with the kohlrabi, and though we tossed around a few novel ideas–shaving it into salads, making raw “rice” with it–we decided that roasting it with an onion sounded best of all.
Hannah took charge of the seasoning, tossing it with a mixture of cumin (1 tsp), cayenne pepper (to taste), and smoked paprika (1/2 tsp), as well as salt and pepper. We drizzled on some olive oil and roasted it at 400 for about 25 minutes. The onions and kohlrabi emerged tender, fragrant, and perfectly spicy. We could barely wait to eat them.
Along with the vegetables, I served some simple quinoa and a mixture of sauteed chard and beet greens, also from Relay (a touch of olive oil, some sea salt, and some garlic). Everything was so good, but what excited me most was how much I loved the kohlrabi. I can imagine it becoming a staple veggie from now on!
I don’t know if I’ll be doing bounty boxes every week, but I have been loving the chance to explore new veggies, especially now that it’s summer. Getting the bounty box has also encouraged me to be better about meal planning for the week, and making use of my pantry to complement what I get. I’m excited to see what’s featured as the summer goes on–and share it with you, of course!
If you’re in the DC area and you’re interested in checking our Relay for yourself, you can enter the following coupon code at checkout to get $30 off your order: relayfoods.com/friend/ryxh59.
Tomorrow, more seasonal produce featured in a springtime vegan pizza. Stay tuned!
xo
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Gena, your blog is now a daily stop for me (with the morning coffee) for inspiration!
Genius idea roasting the carrots whole and serving them over the salad! I have a bunch of multicolored carrots in my CSA delivery this week and I am definitely going to do this. Also, thank you for demystifying kohlrabi. I’ve never eaten it and was always a little curious (and a little intimidated).
Well thank you, Veronica! I’m so flattered.
I just discovered kohlrabi and I absolutely adore it! I’ve roasted it and had it raw and I have to say that I enjoy it both ways!
I’ve never actually had cooked kohlrabi, but I absolutely love it raw! It reminds me of a combination of apple and onion, oddly enough.
i’ve eaten some weird veggies but yet have never actually had kohlrabi. i’ve seen it but just never knew what the heck to DO with it ;p
Mmmm… those roasted carrots were divine. I need to make them again for myself asap!
Thanks again for a fun dinner 🙂 xo
So glad you featured something with kholrabi! I bought some at the farmers’ market (a lovely green and a lovely purple one) but haven’t known what to do with them other than grate into my salads. That’s fine, but kind of bland. Ok, really bland – didn’t notice any particular flavor from the kholrabi. I’m excited to try something that puts the kholrabi forward more (plus my three year old has been asking to eat them, but she’s not super into salads just yet). One question: did you peel the kholrabi, or just cut it up? Thanks!
You can also roast radishes. They get a starchy/potato-like flavor. Nice idea to mix raw and roasted veggies in a salad!
Good tip!
thank you for posting about kohlrabi! I’ve been wanting to pick it up from the grocery store, but have been intimidated by it. I’m definitely going to get it next time! The dishes you ladies made look delicious!
I love kohlrabi! My dad grows it in his garden every year, but honestly I’ve only ever had it cut up raw all by itself, not even on a salad. I love it that way, but I never thought to roast it! I’ll have to try that.
I want to start exploring new veggies, too. I always seem to stick to the same produce for long periods of time, before deciding to mix it up. I’m always intimidated by things like kohlrabi, though I know I shouldn’t be! The farmer’s market is a great place to find new produce. I always come across interesting things whenever I go. I wish I could order from Relay, but I live in Los Angeles!
“There may be a lot of salt on the vegetables, or there may be none. Time will tell, as I have no idea what just happened when I tried to sprinkle.”
So delighted to have experienced kohlrabi for the first time together. I will never forget the deliciousness of our perfect meal nor our self-congratulatory glee upon realising how magnificent it was. And we were. You are. Miss you. xo
I have never heard of Kohlrabi before… What does it taste like?
Kohlrabi is a really cool-looking vegetable; it looks like it came from another planet! My grandfather, who has a German background and is an avid farmer, grows tons of kohlrabi, and I’m always delighted when he sends me some. I’ve never thought to roast it, though. Thanks for the idea, Gena! By the way, it’s a great addition to a batch of pickled vegetables!
Wow your friends are so lucky to have an amazing cook as a pal!
Relay is really awesome–I especially look forward to using them in the winter, when it’s harder to get local products without the farmer’s market.
I have been doing a CSA, and, like the bounty box, I love that it pushes me beyond my “usual” vegetables. I’ve had little white salad turnips for the past few weeks, plus garlic scapes and kohlrabi–so fun! I can’t wait to try your roasted Kohlrabi method–did you know it comes in a purple variety, too?
I’ve never cooked with Kohlrabi either. I really want to try it now. I’ll have to snag a bounty basket once I’m back from our honeymoon and experiment. 🙂
PS – Aren’t beet greens amazing? They might be one of my favorite greens!
I love kohl rabi! It’s great roasted as you’ve found out, and it’s also nice just cut into batons and raw. I always cut away the skin as if it’s a turnip but I noticed you left it on… I guess it is tender enough to do that! I’ll try it next time.
Looking forwards to the pizza recipe 🙂
I’ve never had kohl rabi before but it looks delicious! Ill have to check for some next time I go shopping. It looks delicious.
Seriously looking forward to the pizza recipe!
Roasted whole carrots! Why haven’t I done this? It all looks amazing as usual but something about those carrots has me drooling. I’m remembering a recipe I saw in Color Me Vegan for blueberry ketchup that was to go with carrot french fries…
Lovely eats, Gena. I prefer kohlrabi raw but I am now tempted to try it roasted. 🙂