Coleslaw – what can be said about it?
Numerous clichés lend themselves to describing coleslaw – “always a bridesmaid, never the bride” or “best supporting actor in a cast of thousands”. It is always cast in a supporting role but coleslaw fills a need in so many meal plans. Coleslaw is there to cleanse and awake the palate in a meal heavily laden with greasy fried foods. Can you imagine a seafood platter without it? As a condiment in a pulled pork sandwich, it lends the perfect acidic note to compliment the spicy, tangy barbecue sauce. And it so incredibly easy to make, it can be the perfect easy and quick dish to take to a potluck supper. No cooking involved in tasty cabbage coleslaw, just some cutting and stirring and your set to go!
No summer picnic is complete without coleslaw. So that’s why I have a collection of recipes for it so I can change it up for the family rather than the same old, same old. In this edition of the Wilderness Wife Blog, we’re talking the very easy basic coleslaw, love it or leave it.
First of all the basic ingredient is cabbage. So which is the best for coleslaw? The most commonly used is the very common, very Plain-Jane green cabbage. Green cabbage is always there in the supermarket and its the first one you think of for coleslaw, stuffed cabbage, and corned beef and cabbage. It’s basic, compact, solid and very long lasting in the vegetable keeper in your fridge. You can use it in salads and slaws, stir fry, or simmer and boil it. When you purchase it, you want to pick a head that feels heavy and solid for it size, with fresh, tightly packed leaves. Green cabbage is the most common used cabbage for slaws because it can hold up to the creamiest, oiliest, or spiciest dressing put on it.
Your next ingredient is shredded carrots. You want them to be a little thinner than a “julienne” cut but no as thin as peelings. I peel the outer skin from the carrots and cut them into pieces that are the length I want for my carrot shreds. Then I grate them by hand (I know, time consuming) but you could use your food processor if you are in a rush. I often enjoy mindless tasks like grating vegetables or cheese that give me the opportunity to contemplate the solution to the world’s problems or to just listen to music. I actually find it relaxing.
Next you make a mix of wet ingredients and seasonings. This mixture is folded into the shredded veggies and then refrigerated so the flavors can blend together. The very basic ingredients for the sauce for your coleslaw are mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and vegetable oil. You can change it up with additions and substitutions like buttermilk in place of the vegetable oil for a nice tang, or adding some finely chopped raw onion or a little shredded red cabbage for some color. There are lots of recipes out there but the one below was the one my Nana always made so its comfort food for me.
This is a very basic coleslaw recipe that my Nana used to make. Nothing fancy but it does the job.
Toss the cabbage and carrots together in a large bowl mixing them so they are distributed evenly.
In a small bowl whisk together the mayo, vinegar, oil, sugar, celery salt, and salt.
Gently mix the wet ingredients in to the carrot/cabbage combo.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to blend flavors.
Thanks for all the information!! Best wishes, Linda Pinned also.