Fresh coleslaw has always been a favorite of mine, ever since I was a little girl just learning to cook. Our family had an acre garden filled with all sorts of fruits, veggies and flowers. And, of course, me and all of my 4 other brothers and sisters were recruited to do the hoeing, seeding, weeding, watering and picking…not to mention preserving, freezing and canning of said produce.
Cabbages are easy to grow and were plentiful during the summers. We often had freshly grated cabbage and carrot coleslaws. I became so adept at throwing together a quick coleslaw dressing, that it became my job if we were having coleslaw. Yes indeed….I was the Coleslaw Dressing Queen of our family! I never measured, just poured a little of this and that and tasted…then adjusted until it was just right. So the measurements below are just guidelines. I encourage you to taste the dressing and adjust the ingredients to your taste preferences. I always use apple cider vinegar because I always have it in my pantry…but you can use any vinegar you have handy. I have added a dollop of aged balsamic vinegar to this batch of coleslaw, just to see how it tasted. I heartily recommend you mix this salad up early in the day, so the ingredients can hang out together and get to know one another before serving time.
Today, Dole makes a pre-shredded version of cabbage which makes this salad very quick to throw together. I add a packaged of shredded carrots, rinsed. And a bottle of Marie’s Coleslaw dressing when I’m not in the ‘make your own’ mood. Fast, easy and fresh! If you have poppyseeds, throw some in. If you have dried raisins, try those. Coleslaw can become a nutritious alternative to green salads, with many health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and cancer-preventive compounds.
Confetti Coleslaw
Ingredients:
- 1/2 small head fresh cabbage, shredded
- 2 to 3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- few grindings of black pepper
Combine the cabbage, carrots and cranberries in a large bowl.
Mix the dressing ingredients together and taste. If you like it sweeter, add a little more sugar. If you like it tart, add a little more vinegar.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for several hours to allow the dressing time to work on the fresh veggies & fruit. The cranberries will plump up. You will notice that over time, additional moisture will leech out of the fresh produce, giving you more dressing…so skimp on the amount rather than drown the ingredients.
