DH's Slaw and Stories

Here's a cabbage and apple slaw without all that mayo. Diana Henry presents it as a great healthy side dish in her cook book called A Change of Appetite - Where Healthy Meets Delicious. This crisp and crunchy side nestled up to potato salad and a slow-cooked beef brisket dressed with Bourbon-Peach BBQ Sauce last evening. More on that beef brisket in another post.

This first real summertime meal came together, as I accepted delivery on the dahlias for the summertime flower beds. There was a steady 'thunk' of the shovel and hammer, too. SB is re-setting the bricks on the terrace that's outside the kitchen slider. He's been doing some drainage work around the base of the house before we get to the flower beds. I've been gathering the posies for the planters and thinking about raised beds and vegetables too.

Yellow pansies and golden oregano for a large strawberry pot, more herbs to replace some of the tender annuals that have suffered from our snowless winter, and plans for dividing some of the creeping phlox ... it's getting busy here at the grey cottage! So ... as the slow cooker did its magic on the brisket. I dreamed on how wonderful the gardens will look in the months to come, made a healthy green and orange slaw and thought how wonderful Diana Henry's cook books are! And speaking of Diana Henry, I received a bit of 'pitty-pat' last week from Sprout Kate. Check this out.

Kate emails ...

"Diana Henry. I told her you're her biggest fan. She says, "What? She's heard of me? And she's American? That can't be!" If only she knew..."

Mother goes ballistic. Phones Sprout Kate to discover the details. Kate was at the James Beard Awards dinner in Manhattan and just happened upon Diana Henry ... my cook book goddess. What a neat experience. I wonder if she told DH that I have every cookbook she's ever had published? Hmm. Yes, this American has heard of you, DH.

Nothing like living vicariously through your child ... who is a grown woman, but who will always remain worthy of intense mother pride. Sigh.

So, here's that slaw ... enjoy the wonderful mustard vinaigrette that dresses it. it's worthy, indeed!

Diana Henry's Carrot, Cabbage, and Apple Salad with Caraway

-- otherwise known as slaw--

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tsp. caraway seeds

1 1/2 tbsp. honey

2 rounded tsp. whole-grain mustard

juice of a lemon

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1/4 c. canola oil

Salad Ingredients:

1/4 medium sized red cabbage, washed and slivered thinly

1/4 medium-sized green or Savoy cabbage, washed and slivered thinly

1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated

1 Granny smith green apple, quartered, cored and coarsely grated

10 radishes, washed and coarsely grated

Prepare the vegetables and toss together in the bowl with a bit of the juice of the lemon.

Whisk the first four dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Continue whisking, as you drizzle in the canola oil. Be vigorous with that whisk so the oil emulsifies to a thick dressing consistency with the other ingredients. Add the salt and pepper, to taste.

Toss the salad, lightly with the dressing. Cover and chill.

Enjoy the goodness!

NOTE: I didn't have any purple cabbage, so I just doubled the amount of Savoy cabbage that I DID have.  I also coarsely grated a quarter of a green pepper to add to the mix. I think DH would understand making a recipe one's own.