Don’t fear cabbage, make cole slaw!

I got a great deal on a head of old cabbage the other day.  There are only two things I think of when I see a head of cabbage… fish tacos and cole slaw.  I actually hated cabbage as a kid, picking it out of anything containing it.  But one summer I grew cabbage for my clients.  It was a great deal more prolific than I expected and it all matured at exactly the same time.  My clients instantly grew tired of the spring/winter wonder and I was left with about a dozen perfect, beautiful heads in my fridge.  I faced my fear of the stinky, gnarled, Chinese food fall-back and looked up a few recipes. I found I don’t care for it cooked, but when prepared raw, it is crisp, sweet, fresh, and very versatile!

I remembered my grandmother making a very simple cole slaw with steamed cabbage and pineapple when I was farming at their place after college.  I could taste it in my mind, but when I found her recipe, it just didn’t sound very appetizing.  My grandmother, while a lovely woman with a generous heart, wasn’t the most adventurous cook. It took a few batches to get it right, but I found a great winter staple for our family.  Here’s an updated of my grandmother’s old cole slaw recipe for your eating pleasure.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups shredded (or chopped) cabbage, half a large head
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup apple cider (or white wine) vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dried currants (or raisins)
• 1 8 oz can of crushed pineapple (with juice)
• 1 Tbsp celery seed

Mix everything except the cabbage in the bottom of a large mixing bowl.

Remove the core, then shred or chop the cabbage.  I use a cheap-o, hand-held mandolin, but you can just slice it with a large knife.  I find it works a little better with a very thin slice.  Admittedly, I have cut myself more on this little number than any other tool in my kitchen, but it really makes a uniform cut.

Add the cabbage to your dressing and mix it all up!  All done. You can eat it fresh and it is sweet, crunchy with just a hint of tang.  It will keep in the fridge for about a week.  Serve it with hot dogs, fish & chips, or on top of fish tacos.  NOTE: Make an effort to get fresh celery seed for this recipe.  It’s the only recipe I use it for, so I don’t buy large amounts, but the fresh, intense celery pop when you bite into one of these tiny seeds is unexpected and kind of addictive!