So it seems we’re on a mini-salad kick… a few weeks ago it was Radish Slaw, last week it was Breakfast Salad, this week its cold chicken salad from Alexis and now a serious Summer Slaw.
Who doesn’t love a good slaw?
Some of my favorites around the Interwebs are:
Kaela over at Local Kitchen as a great Asian KALEslaw,
Simply Recipes has a lovely Southwestern Slaw,
Hungry Tigress has a Turkish Fermented Cabbage Slaw
and Marisa of Food In Jars has a Cumin Cabbage Slaw.
They are crunchy, with loads of flavor and ENDLESSLY adaptable.
Now that summer’s bounty is beginning to flaunt its color & flavor all over the place, I wanted to make a slaw that captures the true feel of the culinary moment. Kohlrabi, fennel & carrots are all making their way to the Northeast farm stands and together they make the loveliest combination. *Most* apple vendors that have climate controlled storage will have apples for sale throughout the year and a touch of apple really brings a nice sweetness to the mix. For my “dressing” I used last summer’s cherry-infused vinegar (recipe below too!), a touch of honey, a splash of lemon, olive oil and S&P.
I like slaws not only for flavor-punch and adaptability but also because you can use the slaw in different dishes. For instance, I ate some for lunch yesterday and it became Summer Rolls ingredients last night and will be thrown into some last-minute fried rice tonight. It can also be thrown on some braised meat tacos or as a hot dog/sausage fixing. Yummers.
TIP: Before I get to the recipe, a note about ‘weeping’. Kohlrabi & the fennel will not weep a lot of water whereas the apples & carrots will cry their hearts out. This isn’t the driest or crunchiest of slaws. I know there are a TON of ways out there to dry out your weepy cabbage or in this case, carrots & apples. Frankly, I just grated the weepiest vegetable & fruit first then pay it on a few new paper towels (or tea towel if if it won’t weep fabric fuzzies). Once I’m done grating the rest of the docket, I then toss in the carrots & apples. Works good for me. I also don’t OVER dress nor OVER salt a slaw as I know there will be water l didn’t collect. I will also use my one & only container with a draining tray (SEE ABOVE) so as the slaw sits in the refrigerator or out on the table, it will weep a little if needed.
RECIPE: Kohlrabi, Apple & Fennel Slaw
{makes *about* 6 cups}
INGREDIENTS
1 pound of purple or green kohlrabi, grated
3 large carrots, grated
2 small fennel blubs, grated
small handful, fennel fronds for garnish and save the rest for some quick refrigerator pickles, pickled shallots or half sours
2 medium apples, grated (the type is your choice, I went with your basic Red Delicious)
3 TBS Cherry-Infused Vinegar* (or raspberry-infused, apple cider vinegar or another fruity store-bought vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBS local honey
1 TBS mint, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
S&P to taste (I didn’t use much at all)
splash, lemon juice (helps keep browning at bay & also brightens the dish)
METHODS
1. wash all fruits & vegetables. 2. peel the kohlrabi. 3. prepare all vegetables & fruit to go into the grater of your food processor by chopping into quarters OR break out that hand grater & get to work! 3. Like I said in the TIP I will grate the weepiest vegetables & fruit first, in this case the apples & carrots, then place on paper towels, then go forth and grate the kohlrabi & fennel. Mixing vegetables & fruit in a large bowl and add the ground ginger, lemon juice, honey, olive oil & vinegar. Season with salt & pepper (light touch please) and add the chopped mint. Mix and serve with a pinch on fennel fronds sprinkled over the top (fancy!) or let rest in the refrigerator for a few hours because like all slaws, they get better with age.
RECIPE: Fruit Infused Vinegars
{Makes 1 Pint}
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of fruitof choice
1 pint of BASIC White Vinegar
a dash of white granulated sugar
METHODS
Except for raspberries, run the fruit through some water, dry well (salad spinner works great!) and then chop. For cherries, pit a half a cup of cherries, place in a pint jar with a dash of sugar. Pour white vinegar over the top, seal the jar and shake. Let the fruit steep in the vinegar for two weeks-two months in a cool, dark place. Every couple of days shake the jar. When the time has elapsed, strain the vinegar and pour it into any jar you’d like. Or keep the fruit in the jars; I do! Use anywhere you think it would taste good, especially salads. I also use these vinegar in my mustard recipes.
