Keep Your Fork

Back in the day, when I was growing up, when mom said, "Keep your fork", that meant there was some really good desert to come. Might be cherry pie (one of Dad's favorites) or might be Danish pastry (one of my grandmother's specialities.)

We are just coming out of the winter cycle for vegetables. A time when selection of vegetables is limited.

However, let me recommend that you "Keep your fork" and here is why.

The Science & Creativity Behind Great Coleslaw

We had a great cabbage crop this fall and so I have been experimenting with any coleslaw variations and recipes. This has been a very tasty and healthy fall. We are now heading into the heart of winter and we still have about 120 heads of cabbage left.

So how does this delightful salad called coleslaw work?

Coleslaw - Easy Farmers Market Recipe

Even though it is late in the season we still have all the fresh ingredients for this fresh cole slaw at our farm stand at the local farmers market. Come see us on January 10 at the next market.

I like this recipe because it has a fine texture and is sweet without sugar,

Coleslaw - Southern Style Creamy

This cole slaw goes well with smoked meats. I made some great baby back ribs in the smoker and this supplied the vegetable balance for easy digestion and a light side dish.

We still have all the ingredients to make this delectable dish at the farmers market.
Enjoy.

Coleslaw - Old Fashioned Country

This old fashioned cole slaw recipe goes well with holiday meals. It is the creamy style that our kids perferred growing up.

The nice thing about this recipe is you can still get all the vegetables at the farmers market.

Coleslaw - Sweet'n'Sour

I have a friend that is considering starting a business when he retires doing catering with smoked and BBQ meats as his specialty. He has been experimenting with various side dishes that go with this type of food. I asked him for his cole slaw recipe and have made a few modifications for my taste.

He does a great job on the meat side of things too.

Coleslaw - The Waldorf Version

The classic Waldorf salad uses lettuce, but this version uses cabbage. Like the original invented by Oscar Tschirky, the dining room manager at the renowned Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York city, is has apples, walnuts and it is addictive in its crisp, delicate, crunchy, sweet and sour form.

History lesson aside, this is a great slaw.

Coleslaw - Curried

I like curry, which is a little out of place in Minnesota, given its Scandinavian roots. This slaw combines winter vegetables and the tastes of SE Asia.

It features a sweet curry from Penzey's Spices located Wauwatoa, WI. Bill Pensey blends spices from all over the world and has stores all over the US. I just mail order most of what we use. Pensy spices are the freshest and boldest I have found.

Coleslaw from the Pine Island Catholic Church

When our children were young our neighbors the Regniers would invite us to the fall festival at the Pine Island Catholic Church. Pat Regnier was able to share the recipe for the delicious cole slaw they served year after year.

Enjoy this traditional slaw passed down from generation to generation.

Coleslaw with Roasted Cabbage

I was experimenting with some different methods for cabbage preparation. Roasting is a delightful process for cabbage that leaves the cabbage edges toasted with a smokey sweet flavor and crunchy texture. Just right for a cole slaw to go with barbque or grill.

Here is the unique slaw I made.

Storage Cabbage

Reed picked 120 heads of storage cabbage after school yesterday. We had been picking about 8-10 per week for the last month but with the extreme cold predicted for Halloween we decided to get them inside.

Here is how you store cabbage...