Now that we’re well and truly into summer, I thought it would be great to focus on some of the amazing cuisine we look forward to all year long. Of course the first thing that comes to mind when you think of summer cuisine is the old stand-by barbecue (and I have plans for our friend the barbie later on) but I wanted to start things off light, colourful…and raw. Hence, the summer salad.
Now, I’m not talking here about a big bowl full of leaves and a buffet line of bottled dressings. Nor even the ever-popular spinach and (insert fruit here) salad with a tasty vinaigrette. No, what I’m talking about are those lovely salads one always finds at barbecues and pot-lucks…big, chunky bowls of cold ingredients you might otherwise serve hot. I’m talking about potato salad, broccoli salad, bean salad, pasta salad or coleslaw. You get the picture.
Somehow it would seem anathema to serve one of these luscious dishes outside the context of a summer grilled meal (or at the very least a make-your-own-sandwich summer buffet). Can you imagine tucking into a bowl of coleslaw alongside your savoury winter stew? Not exactly a match made in heaven. But picture this: a juicy homemade burger hot off the grill in a bakery-fresh bun…coleslaw totally fits the bill now, doesn’t it?
So let’s start there: coleslaw. Creamy or vinegary, I’ve always loved the stuff (yes, even the weird green stuff at KFC). But until recently I never made it from scratch. Why? Well, a few reasons…some simple, some complicated. First, I want to go on the record that I tried to make homemade coleslaw way back when – before I owned a food processor. It’s just…you know…chopping cabbage with a knife? Have you tried this? Don’t bother. I’ll tell you: it’s hard work. Cabbages are dense, big, and round. You need to cut them in quarters before you can even begin to think about shredding. Then your pieces are going to be waaaayyy too big for good coleslaw, unless you’re one of those robo-choppers, and honestly, it’s not worth going to culinary school just to learn how to chop cabbage.
So then. You want to shred your cabbage mechanically. Don’t try a regular grater for this. It’s wet, messy, and even more difficult than the knife method. So where does that leave you? A food processor. Truly, if you do nothing more than make coleslaw in your FP, it will be worthwhile (well, it will if you love coleslaw as much as I do). And! The coolest, coolest thing about it is that you can make the whole thing (including the dressing) in the food processor in one shot. Then you just toss it into the serving dish and go!
So, check out the recipe:
Creamy Coleslaw
And see my play-by-play and the finished product here:
process the onions and parsley – pretty straightforward.
Now to make the dressing…all in the same bowl as before!
You mean this is all the chopping I have to do by hand?
Shredding cabbage…this is the fun part!
Yes! Coleslaw in moments and only one dish to clean!!!
Just scoop it all into your serving bowl, toss to evenly distribute the dressing and – voila! Coleslaw.
All ready to serve to your guests at your next outdoor dinner party!
This recipe was incredibly easy to make, and tasted great! My husband ate two bowls of it. My only feedback would be that the dressing was a bit scant – I prefer it a bit creamier, myself. Next time I make it, I’ll likely add 50% to the dressing ingredients (everything except the carrots & cabbage).
Overall, this recipe is a definite winner!