When I first came here, “Coleslaw” seemed like a strange word for what I knew as Krautsalat, until I realized that “cole” was just the Americanized pronunciation of the German word “Kohl” which, like “Kraut”, refers to cabbage in one form or another.
This is a no-mayo coleslaw, by the way. Drenching Kohl in mayo was another thing I was quite unused to, and I still prefer coleslaw with vinegar and oil over the mayonnaise variety.
Light-Green Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1/2 a head of cabbage
- 3 tblsp minced celery
- 4 tblsp cider vinegar *
- 2 tblsp olive oil *
- 1 tblsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- dash of pepper
- parsley for garnish, optional
* As for the ratio of oil and vinegar, you have to figure out how much of either you like. I usually reverse the ratio given, i.e. I use about twice as much oil as vinegar.
Directions
Chop or shred the cabbage, add minced celery. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. You can substitute the dry mustard for normal mustard.
Pour over salad, toss well. Turn into a glass serving bowl and garnish with parsley, if you wish.
This salad keeps well in the fridge and can be doctored up with small cuts of sandwich meats or leftover cold chicken, pork or beef. Add nuts to it as well, and you have turned this side dish into a nourishing and delicious cold summer dinner.
The recipe was taken from Jane Watson Hopping’s The Country Mother’s Cookbook. New York, 1991. The photo is not mine, either.
Denney Home Place 