Carrot and Cabbage Slaw

We got our first cabbages from the CSA last week. Not much...just a large head and two baby cabbages. Last year, David discovered his love for making sauerkraut and sweet pickled cabbage. I discovered my love for eating the sauerkraut and sweet pickled cabbage. We needed a lot of cabbage for David to pickle, and we found that we could get HUGE heads of cabbage for really, really cheap (like, 10lbs for $2. really.) We went overboard purchasing cabbages!

What I'm saying is....I've seen a lot of cabbage in the past year. And that's fine, because I really like it. I've made soups and sautes, David's made krauts and pickled versions. During the summer, a slaw is the obvious usage for cabbage. And, since I sometimes state the obvious, I am offering up a slaw recipe in this post! I think I first had a version of this slaw while visiting my mother-in-law, Cathy. Cathy has tons of recipes memorized, makes stuff up on the fly, and mixes and matches at will. I have no idea how this recipe came to be, or if I even make it the way she does, but it doesn't matter. I like it because it's easy to put together, low in fat, fresh, crispy, and colorful. Plus, there's no mayonnaise, so it's not creamy or heavy.



There's no measuring on this recipe, so go ahead, live on the edge, and throw it all together. Feel free to use all ingredients or only some. Adjust your flavors by tasting, but remember, letting it sit for an hour or two will allow the flavors to mingle, so you might want to wait before adding that last dash of salt. Serve this slaw with grilled shrimp or chicken, steak kabobs, bbq'd pulled pork, salmon, burgers, whatever!

Recipe: Carrot and Cabbage Slaw

(I either shred/slice everything OR chop everything, but I do not combine methods. That way, you get the same amount of everything in each fork-bite, and everything looks pretty in the bowl!)

You'll need:

• a large bowl 
• 1/4-1/2 head green cabbage, shredded or chopped 
• 1/4 red cabbage, shredded or chopped 
• 1/2 yellow onion (but I've been known to use red), thinly sliced or finely chopped 
• 2-3 carrots, shredded or chopped 
• dark sesame oil (you could use light, but I prefer the flavor of the dark) 
• rice vinegar 
• pepper

Other additions:

• scallions, dark green parts, chopped 
• fresh ginger, grated 
• red peppers, thinly sliced or chopped
• green or gala apples
• jicama

In large bowl, combine all vegetables. Drizzle sesame oil and toss. Drizzle rice vinegar and toss. Add freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Let sit for an hour, refridgerated. Adjust flavorings to preference, and enjoy.