TheLindsayist

Mom: make this slaw.

This is another variation of the cabbage/peach/pine nut version I posted earlier, or the one with the roasted matchsticked beets. This one is completely raw, and Tim ate a quart of it yesterday.

Lunch and dinner and lunch and lunch

2-3 carrots, peeled

3-4 beets, peeled

2 hakurai turnips [if you want]

1 small head red cabbage

1 bunch scallions, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp agave nectar or honey

salt and pepper to taste

In food processor, shred carrots, beets, turnips and cabbage to slaw texture, and toss in a big bowl with scallions. Add dressing, toss to coat, adjust to taste.

This makes a big whopping pile of blazingly fuschia slaw. The other night, we had this with polenta and shrimp prepared like this.

Cabbage Strudel

There ought to be a law keeping me from handling phyllo dough; making it, purchasing it, processing it in any way. I’m waiting for tonight’s dinner – little Greek pies [but it's called "strudel" anyway?] of cabbage, carrots, onions, carraway and feta sauteed and rolled up. As assembled, they look like rows of those mummified Egyptian cats. But more buttery.

No pictures; I’m too ashamed. It’s bad personal PR. [To be fair, the filling is delicious.]

To be accompanied by pork chops, pan-fried, with dill and Parmesan.

A mummified Egyptian cat.

Recent recipes

These two made a nice lunch last week, and were cobbled together from what came in the farmshare plus what was in the cupboard. The bean dip is adapted from Mark Bittman’s adaptation of the Lidia Bastianich version. So, where one might use lemons and rosemary, I hadn’t been bothered to go to the store all week what with most groceries coming in the crates and so on – instead, vinegar for acid and whatever herbs came here. I actually, weirdly, really enjoyed the cider vinegar. The slightly sweet cider rounds the lemon’s corners somewhat.

And you can put any old thing in a salad, and it pains me to measure out these things so methodically as that is not how I cook (no baker, here), but I wanted to record. These measurements are approximations; if you find you need more acid, you probably should add that. I usually make that slaw with white cabbage, toasted pine nuts, various vinegars, honey and white peaches – alternately, yellow peaches and radicchio, but this worked. I haven’t ever done much with kohlrabi but its composition makes me want to eat it up against granny smith apples.

White bean spread

1 can white beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 fat clove of garlic, minced to paste
Half a bunch scallions, finely chopped, and whatever other herbs you have around – I used about a tbsp of finely chopped lemon balm, basil and sage as well
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Puree beans in processor (you can hand mash; I’ve done this before and it’s fine, just not the road to fluffy) while pouring in oil to lubricate.
Stir in herbs, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper; great spread on some kind of toasted whole wheat business with thick grilled slices of zucchini on top. About four servings.

Summer slaw

Half a white cabbage, shredded
One bulb kohlrabi, matchsticked
Four beets, roasted and matchsticked
Half a bunch scallions, chopped
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
s&p to taste

Combine cabbage, kohlrabi, roasted beets, scallions, toss to mix. In separate bowl, whisk remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables, tossing to coat evenly. Season amply with salt and pepper to taste. Wait for me to remember if there were more things in there – it seems like there should’ve been but anyway, this was simple and quick, so maybe not. Turns garish pink and incorporates several pleasing notes of sweet, sour and salty at once. Serves four.