Coleslaw the year round king of crunch

This time of year there isn't much homegrown lettuce (or other salad greens) on the market, EXCEPT cabbage. Those round balls of crisp goodness, roll their leaves so tightly that they shield their inner leaves and stay crisp, tasty, and ready for action almost all year round -- all year if you treat them kindly.

Right now all of the soft leaves that we usually use in salads are out of season and for the most part are imported. Iceberg lettuce is still quite plentiful and cabbages, both white and red are very plentiful. Being plentiful makes anything relatively inexpensive.

There are many, many ways of using cabbage but the most popular is in making coleslaw, a salad born to compliment pork, ribs, baked beans, and other robust entrees.

There is no big secret to making a good coleslaw, you can throw almost anything in with the chopped up cabbage leaves and the cabbage won't object. The important thing is the dressing.

You can, of course doctor up mayonnaise, either homemade or commercially available. My cousin, Bobbie (Roberta) Michelson of Rolla, ND still makes her grandmother's recipe.

Mildred Wayne's Coleslaw Dressing

Mildred used either mayonnaise or her own homemade cooked salad dressing in this recipe. Bobbie uses Miracle Whip. The recipe is given in a way that makes it easy for you to increase or decrease the quantity you make. This the kind of dressing that is used in making coleslaw to go with southern barbecue.

1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1/2 cup Miracle whip
1/2 cup Granulated sugar
1/4 cup Cider vinegar

Combine the oil and miracle whip until smooth. Whisk in the sugar and then the vinegar. Makes about 1 3/4 cups. Keeps very well and can be used in making such things as deviled eggs, egg salad, tuna salad, etc.

Tart Coleslaw Dressing

Add anything that you like to red or green shredded cabbage, or to a combination of both. You can make a big batch and vary it from day to day by adding apples, pineapple, peppers, grapes, grated carrot, chopped scallion or onion, parsley, cilantro, raisins, dried cranberries, etc.

Basic Salad Ingredients:

6 cups shredded red cabbage
6 cups shredded green cabbage
1 small red, green or yellow pepper, shredded (or all 3)

Dressing:

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon caraway or celery seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Basic Salad: Toss together the basic salad ingredients plus any other fruits or vegetables looking for a home.

Dressing: Combine the remaining ingredients either by hand or with a mixer. Pour enough to flavor but not drown the greenery over the vegetables and toss well. Refrigerate, covered for at least 2 hours. This makes 8 or more generous servings and any unused dressing will keep well refrigerated.

Coleslaw with Vinaigrette

If you want you can use all green ingredients in this to make an unusual slaw but is just as good with white or red cabbage and any other ingredients you choose. When you do make the green salad, sprinkle it with crumbled Roquefort or feta cheese, or pomegranates, or slices of orange or persimmon. Pretty!

Green Salad Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion tops
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

Vinaigrette Dressing:

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Combine salad ingredients and toss with combined dressing ingredients. This will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

Gingered Red Cabbage Slaw

Pickled beets and frozen pitted cherries or dried cherries keep this salad red and eye-catching.

Ginger Dressing:

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger

Red Salad Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz.) pickled beets, drained and diced
2 cups frozen pitted sweet red cherries or 1 cup dried
6 cups finely shredded red cabbage
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whip together onion, vinegar, oil and ginger. When well combined add beets, cherries, cabbage, salt and pepper and toss well. Makes 8 servings.

Coleslaw is no slouch any time of year!

1/28/08
None\7-C

Date: 1/21/08

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