Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Nothin' Says Summer Like Cole Slaw

You pick the type of picnic or BBQ and you will probably have cole slaw available as a side dish. This is one of those simple concoctions that can either be excellent or go horribly awry quickly. It has a very small margin for error.

A recent experiment with the head of cabbage received from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery led to a recipe to make cole slaw cool, summery and tasty all at the same time. At first glance it seems as like there are a ton of ingredients (that may be), but all you do is dump and mix...quick and simple.

Here's what it involved:

1 1/2 pounds of grated cabbage
1 small head of red cabbage
3 tablespoons of rice vinegar (tarragon vinegar works well too)
2/3 cups mayonnaise
1 small red onion
2 medium carrots (grated)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon each of:
cumin
cardamon
celery Salt
garlic powder
hot paprika
cracked black pepper

You will notice this has some bite, but that does not mean it is hot and spicy. Rather you get only a minor kick from the aftertaste and each spoonful (or forkful) comes off savory.

The process goes like this..

Toss the grated cabbage with the salt and rice vinegar. Then add the grated carrots, red onion and mayo, mix well. Finally, add the remaining ingredients and continue mixing (If you so desire, add a bit more mayo). You can eat this right away, but a short stint in the fridge will allow all the flavors to merge together. Trust me, your palate will benefit greatly. If you need to, add a bit more salt to suit your taste.

This was a hit at one of my girlfriend's family gatherings a few weeks ago and we had plenty leftover for the next few days. It hit the spot coming home from work on a super hot day and munching on something crunching, savory and cool. It is an awesome sidekick to a nice cold beer.

The end of summer is in sight, unfortunately, but I suggest you to try this during the sweltering late August heat to remind yourself that we shouldn't just relax and watch autumn role in. Take advantage my friends.