Kale has certainly had a moment, but it’s time to crown the new queen of the farmers market — like kale’s funny-looking cousin, kohlrabi, or perhaps one of the other funky fall vegetables on this list.
Of course, there are many deserving fall vegetables found at the farmers market (or in your own autumn garden), and you may not have heard of many of them until now. It’s time to spruce up your kitchen with some of these unique fall vegetables.
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1. Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi is part of the Brassica family of vegetables. Many fall vegetables are Brassicas — think cabbage, kale, and broccoli. Both the purple and white varieties of kohlrabi are common, and their bright taste is a cross between jicama, broccoli, celery, and a hint of crisp autumn apple.
Eat kohlrabi raw or cooked, and both the bulb (peel it first) and leaves are edible. Toss thin slices of the bulb in salads, make roasted kohlrabi fries with the bulb, or sauté the leaves as you would kale.
2. Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli rabe looks similar to broccolini, which is baby broccoli. However, it’s a completely different vegetable from broccoli(ni) and is related to the turnip. It is a very popular vegetable in Italy and is commonly sautéed there. It has a delicious bitter taste that pairs well with rich fall foods.
3. Fennel Bulb
Fennel is a flowering herb related to the carrot. It doesn’t look like much — it looks like the end of a stalk of celery — but it packs a lot of flavor and crunch. Fennel has a bright, sweet anise flavor — eat it raw or cooked. Eat it with dip, toss it in a salad, roast it with other root fall vegetables, or toss it into chicken noodle soup. It is a versatile flavor enhancer with many uses in your autumn kitchen.
4. Hakurei Turnips
Hakurei turnips are a Japanese variety of white turnips. Often called “salad turnips,” they are sweeter and more delicate than other varieties of turnips. If you tried turnips before and didn’t like them, give Hakurei turnips a try. Add them raw to a salad or sauté them.
5. Delicata Squash
If you like winter squash and pumpkins, but not the work and time of cooking them, then try delicata squash. Just like with acorn squash, the skin of the delicata is edible, which is certainly a huge time saver. Delicata has a creamy, sweet, and nutty flavor. If you like butternut, you will love delicata. Cut it in half and roast it in the oven for a super-easy preparation. Our favorite cooking method is to slice it thin and saute it in coconut oil until soft and slightly browned for a treat that tastes like it should be bad for you, but of course, is a healthy delicacy.
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