Salad of Kohlrabi, Apples and Watercress with an Orange Blossom Dressing {AIP, GAPS, SCD, Paleo}

I’m loving the variety at our local farmers’ market, right now. What a perfect way to while away an hour or so on a weekend, poking about amongst the stalls, feeling, sniffing, tasting our way through the crowds of like-minded nutrient seekers. Our nearest markets provide more than local bounty for us to appreciate too. There is the lure of the mountains in the background, below a perfectly blue sky peppered with the occasional fluffy white cloud. I keep meaning to take a photo but sample tasting is my distraction.

What excites me the most are the sweet treats we hastily grab by the ‘flat’ (a small, low box with an assortment of plump, just-picked berries if the term is as unfamiliar to you as it was to us). That and cherries actually, which goes without saying, and more specifically Bing, although we are tempted by Rainier, Tieton and more. I’m also stocking up on radishes in assorted shapes, sizes and colours, pickling cucumbers, zucchini flowers. And of course a wide selection of baby leaves and edible pretties, which is what today’s recipe is all about. This is one of the simplest salads ever but for all that it lacks in time investment, it makes up for in flavour.

I’ve never really bothered with kohlrabi before this season but have decided it’s a welcome addition to our table. When you don’t eat starchy vegetables you need all the big stuff you can find and this fills that gap pretty nicely. It’s amazing with the Beef Liver Paté recipe by the way. You need to eat it very soon after buying though as it’ll become soft and then woody in a short time, rendering it tricky to slice and I imagine your digestive system won’t be particularly thrilled either.

I get out my mandoline for the kohlrabi, shaving delicate mouthfuls that are perfection with the tart crunch of granny smith, a peppery tang imparted by the watercress, paired with the complete contrast of a sweet and mildly sour dressing. But beware, that mandoline is a fierce beast should you take your eyes off its unfriendly blade. As well as a deliciously refreshing taste, the beauty of this salad is colour … cool whites with a splash of fresh green … spots of red would not be a great look!

Play around with the dressing, adding more of any one ingredient so you get it to just the way you like. Making dressings is a very subjective exercise, my husband likes his more acidic than I, plus your olive oil will likely differ, as may your salt. And these things matter.

salad of kohlrabi, apples and watercress with an orange blossom dressing
If you can’t get hold of watercress, try this salad with some gourmet greens, such as baby tatsoi
(serves 4)
Print the recipe here

for the salad:
2 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tart, crisp apples (such as Granny Smith), quartered and sliced thinly
1 bunch watercress
edible flowers

for the dressing:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp orange blossom water
1 tsp raw honey
generous pinch sea salt

What can I say? Gather, mix, present, enjoy. Simple!