T.T.: One Coleslaw To Rule Them All

(Not to worry--more questions about remote living will be answered tomorrow. I just decided it wasn't so much a Tuesday Tips thing, so remote questions get their own day.) 

Summer has just begun, and that means that coleslaw season is upon us. I have mentioned more than once that I have a really good coleslaw recipe. My children agree. A., who doesn't like mayonnaise-heavy salads, agrees. The MiL agrees. She makes it, too. The MiL's friend Jane agreed, too, and asked me for the recipe many years ago.

It is not a mayonnaise-y, very sweet coleslaw, of the sort available at delis. I don't care for that kind of coleslaw, but I really love this one. I can drink the dressing on its own.

This is the only recipe for coleslaw I ever use, and I'm going to share it with you now. Because sharing is caring, and more people need this recipe.

The recipe comes from Serving Up the Harvest, which is a wonderful book with recipes to use garden produce by Andrea Chesman. I discovered just now that it's available online in Google Books, which means you can see the actual recipe (and the rest of the book, too) right here.

I'm still going to write it out for you here, though.

Andrea Chesman's Creamy Coleslaw

8 cups shredded green cabbage

3 carrots, shredded

1/4 Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely chopped (I just use a yellow onion)

1.5 cups buttermilk (I use plain yogurt)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons cider vinegar (if you add the previous three ingredients in this order, you can use the same tablespoon measure for all of them)

1/4-3/4 teaspoon celery seed

salt and pepper (she gives no measurements for this, but I would say at least a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper)

This will make a TON of coleslaw. The recipe says it serves 8, but I think it serves more like 12 as a side dish. I usually make a half recipe for my family. 

I use a food processor for shredding when I make a whole recipe of this, but my box grater to make smaller quantities. Either way, you're going to get cabbage and carrots all over the place. Shredding is messy.

Anyway.

All you do is mix together the vegetables, mix together the dressing ingredients until smooth, then combine them both. She notes that the coleslaw will look dry when it's first mixed, but the longer it stands, the wetter it gets. This is true. 

She also notes that you should refrigerate it at least an hour. Longer is better, though. I usually make it in the morning to have for dinner.

To be honest, I don't measure the celery seed, salt, and pepper. You're going to need to taste it to make sure the balance of flavors in the dressing is right, anyway. Especially the salt.

You need a picture of my coleslaw, right? I thought so.

You probably didn't need this, actually. I promise it tastes better than it looks, though.