Kohlrabi, Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Four months. Nora is sitting with support and grabbing everything within reach with both hands and narrating her experience in the vowel-heavy language she's developing. She and Liam have conversations. From the outside they look like nonsense; from the inside I can see the exchange—she says something, he responds, she responds to the response—and the transaction is real even if the content is opaque. They know each other already in the way siblings know each other before they have the words: by repetition, by the specific face the other makes, by the sound of the other's voice in the next room.

Mid-pandemic summer in the city. The restaurants are open at limited capacity, outdoor tables only, and Sean and I went out to dinner on Saturday for the first time since February—the first time since Nora was born—leaving the kids with my mother who came over in a mask and sat on the floor and played trucks with Liam and held Nora until she fell asleep. We walked to a place with tables on the sidewalk and ate tapas in the July evening and Sean ordered a glass of Rioja and looked at me across the small table and said "this is good." It was. It was very good.

Corn chowder on Sunday, the peak-August version, from the good corn that's just arriving at the stands on East Broadway. Thick, a little smoky from the bacon, the right amount of cream. Liam ate two bowls. "Good soup, Mama." Filed. Appreciated.

The corn came from the stand on East Broadway, and so did everything else I’ve been piling into meals lately—kohlrabi, cucumbers, the last of the really good tomatoes. After a Saturday night out that felt like resurfacing, I wanted Sunday to stay easy and abundant: the chowder for warmth, and this salad alongside it for the same reason I’ve been buying too much produce lately, which is that it’s all just so there and beautiful right now, and I’m finally paying attention again.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 small kohlrabi (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into thin matchsticks or half-moons
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prep the kohlrabi. Peel the kohlrabi down to the pale interior, removing any fibrous outer layer. Cut into thin matchsticks or 1/4-inch half-moons. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Add the remaining vegetables. Add the sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and red onion to the bowl with the kohlrabi.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well to coat evenly. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes so the flavors begin to meld.
Finish with herbs. Add the dill and parsley and toss once more. Taste and adjust salt or lemon as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Kohlrabi, Cucumber and Tomato Salad — The Other Thing I Brought Home from the Stand