Of Summer Slaw and Catnaps

Despite the havoc wreaked by our neighborhood skunk, we still have managed to bring some heads of cabbage to a harvestable size. (A few nights ago we could smell M. LePew, and the next morning all the broccoli was once again chewed on. He also nibbled on some of the Brussels sprouts, but left all the cabbages untouched. I don't understand this creature, but I am grateful that he's so finicky.)


Anyway, today I brought in one of our "Red Express" cabbages. It was just starting to split, and we wanted some cole slaw to top our pork barbecue: a win-win. The meat is Carolina-style, by the way, which is the only way to go. It's vinegary and delicious, and needs some creamy slaw on top. 

Last summer we made a pretty traditional cole slaw. This is basically the same, but it practically glows from the all the red cabbage:



Kirk shredded the whole head of cabbage in our nice, new Cuisinart. Even though it was small, that turned out to be a lot. Ditto on shredding the carrots I picked, plus a small onion (and its green tops). The dressing is mayonnaise, cider vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Kirk uses a pretty light hand on the dressing, as you can see in the photo — it's fairly dry. But when the cabbage is this fresh and spicy-sweet, you don't need much. 

We have lots of leftover slaw for sandwiches and sides throughout the week, and there's still more cabbages out in the garden. 

The next time I gather carrots and cabbages, though, I will have to find a new basket:



Fletch found this one that I left out in the garden, and promptly commandeered it for a new bed. I didn't have the heart to kick him out of it when it appears to be a perfect fit for him. Maybe I'll keep the basket in the broccoli bed so our sleepy gatekeeper can deter the skunks while he naps. 

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