Contance's Coleslaw: Super Star- one of the best ever!

If I had to choose just one vegetable as a favorite it wouldn’t be what most people would think: it would be the lowly cabbage. I love the fact that you can make so many things out of cabbage. I love the fact that it is a stand-by, in most places in the world at most times of year you can find a cabbage of acceptable freshness, ready to be turned into something great to eat.
I am known among family and friends for my potato salad (2 kinds-a summer and a winter) and my coleslaw, a white cabbage version and a red cabbage version. We make sauerkraut every couple of years, I make cabbage rolls, I braise cabbage, I put it in Asian dumplings, soups….pretty safe to say that it is the one thing that we always keep in the house. It keeps well and comes in handy.
Recently, we went to the home of Arnold Shain and Constance McGinnis for Arnold’s “surprise” birthday party. The food was without question some of the most fabulous I have tasted in a very long time. The variety and taste of everything that was served was impressive: and I don’t say that very often. There were a lot of people there, kids, multi-generations, coming in and out: lots of action. And, in the middle of it all, Constance (Bunny) calmly stood in the kitchen just before show time and threw together some coleslaw.
It turned out to be some of the most memorable I had ever tasted. Earlier this week, I got the “recipe” and it is listed below. Try it, you will love it!

1 Package of shredded cabbage (Trader Joe's)
½ Bag Nut & Berry Mix (Trader Joe's)
3 Tbsp Wasabi Mayonnaise (Trader Joe's)
2 Tbsp Orange Muscadet Champagne Vinegar (Trader Joe's)

Note: I like spicy food, but I would replace some of the Wasabi Mayo with regular mayo or plain yogurt......the Trader Joe's product has Hot Horseradish in it and it is hot!

Note #2: I made this earlier this week and I varied the cabbage a bit with great results. I took a food processor and put the chop blade in first....put in a bit of Walla Walla onion and parsley....processed it until minced. Then I replaced the blade with the 2mm slicer: put in a peeled carrot, and a couple of hunks of cleaned and trimed broccoli. Then I followed this with chopped up pieces of a half a head of cabbage. I turned this out into a bowl in which I already had the mixture above waiting. Fold the liquid and the sliced/minced vegetables with the sauce and you are ready to eat! Yumm!

(Here we eat it with lightly floured, salted, sauteed scallops and some left over-you guessed it-potato salad)