Rahmkohlrabi (German Creamed Kohlrabi)

From the garden

• 4 medium kohlrabi, peeled deeply, cut into 1/2-inch batons · keep the small inner leaves; they wilt into the sauce at the end
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

From the pantry

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg · grated fresh from a whole nutmeg if you have one; it carries the dish
• salt · to taste
• black pepper · white pepper is the German default and keeps the sauce pale

1. Peel the kohlrabi hard, taking off the skin and the fibrous layer under it until you reach pale, crisp flesh. Cut into batons about half an inch thick, and tear any tender leaves from their stems.
2. Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat and soften the onion with a pinch of salt, 3–4 minutes, without letting it take on color.
3. Add the kohlrabi and toss to coat, then sprinkle the flour over and stir 1 minute until it smells toasty rather than raw. Pour in the stock a splash at a time, stirring, so the sauce stays smooth.
4. Cover and simmer 12–15 minutes, until a knife slides into a baton easily but the pieces still hold their shape. Stir once or twice along the way, since the flour will catch on the bottom if left alone.
5. Stir in the cream, the nutmeg, and any leaves, and simmer uncovered 2–3 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, fold in the parsley, and serve beside pork, sausages, or a roast.