Creamy Coleslaw

Hello July. I can’t believe I am saying that. What happened to May? June? Summer has barely begun and already it is going too fast.

I love summer. Passionately.

The SUNSHINE, the shorts, the biking, the jam-making, the hiking, the swimming, the campfires, the BBQ-ing, the cherries, the pies, the fireworks, the friends/family who come to visit, the freckles, the sunscreen, the outdoor movies, the blooming flowers, the cold beer, the cold lakes, the road trips, the lying in the grass…

…And I live in a city where it rains 9 months of the year.

SO I resolve the following:

For the entire summer, I will take time out of every single day to be on summer vacation.

Whether that means bumming all at the beach with my dog, or reading my book for 15 minutes in the park across the street; biking the 2.5 hours from my place around Stanley Park, or just lugging my little BBQ down to the grass to make dinner.

No living for the weekends, summer happens on Tuesday and Wednesday, too.

How does that sound?

Okay, now on to the business at hand: coleslaw.

I love coleslaw almost as much as I love summer itself. The bright colours, the creaminess and the crunchiness, the sweet and the tangy… perfection.

The great thing about cabbage is that it is extraordinarily sturdy. This salad is as good on day 2 and 3 as it was on day 1. It doesn’t even lose any crunch.

This creamy coleslaw is perfect to take to a picnic. Or to top a pulled pork sandwich made from leftover grilled ribs.

Do you know how to thinly slice cabbage? You cut in quarters (in half, then in half again) and cut out the core, holding your knife on a diagonal. Then, with one cut side down, you slice down across the leaves. Ta da! Coleslaw cabbage.

You can shred other things and put them in your slaw, too. Broccoli stems are a good addition, as are grated carrots, thinly sliced radishes, julienned apples, green or red bell peppers. Can you think of anything else?

I love the citrusy flavour of caraway seeds, and they give this coleslaw an authentic New York flavour. But you can skip them and use celery seeds instead, if you like. Or you can make a tasty slaw with oil (walnut oil is delish!) instead of mayo – also more picnic friendly. You could go for Asian flavour by adding some sesame oil.

Oh, the possibilities!

And with that, I leave you to pump some air into my tires and take my bike to the Farmer’s Market! Ah, summer. I love you.

Creamy Coleslaw

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 3-4 tbsp white vinegar (to taste)

• 1 tsp dijon mustard, optional

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds

• 1/2 cup minced onion

• 1 head cabbage, shredded (or 1/2 green and 1/2 red cabbage)

• 2 carrots, grated

• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, dijon, sugar, caraway seeds and onion. Add salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt – it has to season the whole salad).

Toss with shredded cabbage and carrot. Adjust seasoning as needed. Can be made a day in advance.

Last Updated on July 3, 2011 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD