When you’re designing a gourmet gala, somehow coleslaw rarely springs to mind as something to pair up with the Chateaubriand or mesquite-grilled snapper.
You don’t even have to be a food snob to believe that coleslaw’s the sort of homey concoction that seems more appropriate next to a frankfurter or a family pack of The Colonel’s finest.
But look at all of those years when pasta salad tolerated the same kind of abuse – when you called it macaroni salad. Until it found its way onto some of the nation’s trendier menus, pasta salad couldn’t get beyond the PTA potluck.
Well, the same kind of innovative recipe development that pushed cold pasta to loftier heights is now being applied to coleslaw – or shall we say “cabbage salad.”
We’re finally taking a closer look at this versatile veggie and beginning to appreciate it for all of its tasteful qualities: a crisp, slightly sweet nature and total versatility.
Such admirable traits become even more worthy when you consider the high cost of other winter produce.
Cabbage is very affordable. It’s also a diverse family. From the edible roots, such as daikon, horseradish and turnips, to the crinkly leaved Savoy, and more familiar Napa, the cabbage family numbers in the dozens and dozens.
Bok choy, mustard cabbage, Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage, broccoli de rabe and watercress are all a part of this delicious group – all available right now.
So what better time to give the following recipes a go? You may find that your Chateaubriand can handle a colorful and crunchy side dish after all. Just don’t call it coleslaw.
Cabbage salad with green peppers and sun-dried tomatoes
6cups finely shredded green cabbage
1large green sweet pepper, finely chopped or julienned
1/2cup (about 3 ounces, drained) chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine cabbage with pepper and tomatoes. Toss with some of the vinaigrette, add freshly ground black pepper, toss again and adjust seasonings. If possible, refrigerate salad for about 30 minutes to develop flavors. May be made several hours ahead.
Yields about 6 cups salad.
Vinaigrette: In medium-size bowl, blend together 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 11/4 teaspoon granulated sugar with wire whip. Continue beating as you add 1/4 cup virgin olive oil (ideally, some or all of the oil should be the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes), and 1/2 cup salad oil; adjust seasonings.
Yields 11/4 cups dressing
Many years ago, when I worked at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, this delectable side dish was on the menu, the traditional accompaniment to the Ahwahnee’s tender loin-cut pork chops.
I used to order the chops just to get the cabbage.
Ahwahnee Hotel sweet ‘n’ sour red cabbage
6strips bacon, diced
1medium apple, peeled, cored, diced
1medium onion, halved, then sliced
1medium head red cabbage, cored, shredded
1/4cup water
1/2cup red wine vinegar
1/2cup brown sugar
1/2cup currant jelly
1teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon ground cloves
1/8teaspoon pepper
3tablespoons flour
3tablespoons melted butter
In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, saute the bacon until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set aside; drain off all but 3 or 4 tablespoons of bacon drippings.
Saute apple and onion in the reserved drippings until onion is transparent. Add cabbage and fry a little longer. Add water, vinegar, sugar, jelly and seasonings. Bring to boil, cover pot and bake in 350 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until cabbage is very tender and mixture is nice and bubbly.
Combine the flour with the melted butter, add a little of the hot cooking liquid, then stir the flour mixture back into the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened.
Makes about 1 1/2 quarts, enough for 6 to 8 generous servings.
This winter salad with its Middle Eastern dressing could accompany kebabs or roast lamb.
Napa cabbage, pear and persimmon salad with tahini dressing
1/2head Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage may be substituted), shredded
2small hard apple-variety persimmons
1winter pear, such as Comice, Bosc or Asian
Tahini dressing (recipe follows)
Arrange the cabbage on a serving platter. Peel and slice the persimmons and pear; arrange the sliced fruit on top of the bed of cabbage. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.
Yields 4 servings.
Tahini dressing: Combine 1/4 cup tahini (sesame butter), 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, salt to taste.
From “The New American Vegetable Cookbook,” by Georgeanne Brennan, Isaac Cronin, Charlotte Glenn
Thai sweet and sour cabbage salad
1/2pound ground pork
2tablespoons dried shrimp
1/3cup boiling water
Butter lettuce leaves
2cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1green cucumber, thinly sliced
1medium white onion, thinly sliced
3tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4cup chopped fresh mint
1/4cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sweet and sour dressing (recipe follows)
In a saute pan or skillet, cook the pork until it looses its pink color, crumbling it with a spatula; drain off fat and set aside.
Cover the shrimp with the boiling water and let them soak for 15 minutes; drain.
Layer a serving platter with the lettuce leaves. Make mounds of the cabbage, cucumber, and white onion. Sprinkle the pork over the vegetables. Top with the scallion, dried shrimp, mint, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.
Yields 4 servings.
Sweet and sour dressing: In small bowl, blend 2 small seeded and chopped hot peppers (such as jalapeno or Thai), 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or distilled vinegar), 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy or tamari sauce.
Adapted from “The New American Vegetable Cookbook” by Georgeanne Brennan, Isaac Cronin, Charlotte Glenn
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contract her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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