As you check out the produce selection at the Farmers Markets in Cayuga County this week, you may spot an exotic, globe-shaped vegetable with stalks sticking out all over it, looking like a satellite from outer space.

Let me introduce you to kohlrabi (the translation from German is “cabbage turnip”), a vegetable that is familiar to Europeans but not well-known in the United States.

Kohlrabi has a mild cabbage flavor and is delicious eaten raw (peel before slicing or grating) or cooked. To cook kohlrabi, steam or boil until tender and then peel. Cut up and serve sprinkled with herbs or cheese or mash with cooked potatoes.

Why would you want to eat kohlrabi? To shock and amaze your friends (as in “guess what we had for dinner last night”); to add variety to your vegetable dishes; and to get the benefits of eating a vegetable from the cabbage family.

A major benefit of eating cabbagy vegetables (also called cruciferous vegetables) is a reduced risk of cancer, particularly colon cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends eating four servings of cruciferous vegetables every week because research is showing that this reduces the risk of colon cancer by 20-50 percent.

People who frequently eat processed, smoked or grilled meats are at higher risk for colon cancer due to the formation of cancer-promoting substances in these types of meats. This risk is reduced by eating cruciferous vegetables because they contain compounds that inactivate the cancer-promoting substances in meats. The fiber in cruciferous vegetables also reduces cancer risk by binding with heterocyclic amines (HCAs) formed when meat is cooked at a high temperature.

Including cole slaw at cookouts is an inexpensive and tasty way to stay healthy. As you search for kohlrabi at the Farmers Market, check out the cabbage selection as well. The possibilities include petite heads of cabbage, which are perfect for one or two people.

To see and taste kohlrabi, stop by the Cooperative Extension table at the Auburn Farmers Market Thursday, Sept. 13.

Visit www.cce.cornell.edu/cayuga for more nutrition information and easy recipes.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.

Confetti Cole Slaw

Makes 12 servings

2 cups green cabbage, washed and shredded

2 cups red cabbage, washed and shredded

1 kohlrabi, washed, peeled and shredded (optional)

1 cup carrots, washed, peeled and shredded

1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained, juice reserved

1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise or salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip)

2 tablespoons fat free milk

1/4 cup pineapple juice, from tidbits

Combine cabbages, kohlrabi (if using), carrots and pineapple in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise or salad dressing, milk, and pineapple juice. Pour over cabbage mixture and

mix thoroughly. Serve immediately or refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.