05 March 2010

Spring Fever? Make Slaw!

Apparently I am in the midst of a bout of spring fever, which I doubt is all that unusual.  Are you itching for flip flops and mud?  Yearning for the first crocus and daffodil to poke through the earth? Rolling your window down because it is sunny (and who cares that it is only 38 degrees out)?  I can answer yes to all these questions and more.  I am ready for sunshine and longer days.  The ugly brownish snow from our record-setting-February can take a long walk off a short pier. Bring on the wicked rain storms that mean spring in Ohio. 


Oh, and the food, bring on the barbeque and coleslaw!



I may not be able to control the weather, but I can control the food.  So I whipped up a meal of pulled pork and coleslaw that tasted like summer. I will start by sharing the coleslaw, which I found on Smitten Kitchen, while searching for basic creamy slaws.  I have made some killer Carolina vinegar based slaws, but I have never been able to master a creamy coleslaw.  To be fair, I wasn't sure I liked creamy coleslaw until fairly recently, so I haven't been trying for that long.


 Nonetheless, this recipe tasted exactly how I wanted - a little tangy, lightly saucy, not too creamy and just a hint of sweetness.  The best part is that the tangy-ness and sweetness are totally controllable by adjusting slightly to your taste.  The slaw retained a lovely crunch even after a day in the refrigerator.  It was the perfect side dish to the pork sandwiches, which I will soon share.

Now if only I could control the weather, I'd be a perfectly content blogger...

Simple Slaw
adapted from Gourmet, June 2008 via Smitten Kitchen
serves 4-5

1 to 1 1/2 lb green cabbage, finely shredded (1/2 of one large head)
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3-4 T cider vinegar, to taste
2-4 t sugar, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Toss all vegetables in a large bowl with salt and pepper. Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar, then toss with slaw. Be sure to taste dressing and adjust vinegar/sugar to own preference. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour (for vegetables to wilt and flavors to blend). 
Slaw can be chilled up to 1 day.

4 comments:

Christine said...

So funny - I just rolled down the windows in the car today at a red light. I had to roll them back up once i got moving. but sitting there with the sun beaming in, the car was very warm and it felt so nice to have the windows open.

grace said...

i'm powerfully opposed to mayonnaise, but i LOVE creamy slaw. it's inconsistent, but i don't care. yes, bring on the rain, sweltering heat, and barbecue!

Cate O'Malley said...

I so cannot wait until Spring. Our temps hit 59 today, so it's so close I can taste it. As for coleslaw, love it homemade. Seems to have that crunch that you can't always get elsewhere. Yum!

Vicci said...

Josie!
First, I've been straying away from blog-land for a bit and I love your new "look"! :)

Second, that coleslaw recipe is just too simple. Really. Are you sure you've included all of the ingredients??? ;) I say this because I love creamy coleslaw, but have tried so many recipes and cannot find the right one. This seems deceptively simple. But probably will turn out to be the best! Thanks for posting-- it really is coleslaw-and-barbeque weather now (yay!!!)