Winter Coleslaw

I know it is freezing outside, and warm stews and soups are what we feel like eating in this cold, cold weather, but sometimes I yearn for something crisp, fresh and zingy to go with the casseroles. It makes a change from root vegetables at this time of year and gives the taste buds a treat.

This is wonderfully easy to make. Don’t let the name put you off-it isn’t the gloopy, yucky, sweet stuff you get in supermarkets. This is crunchy, colourful and full of flavour.

The bitterness of the chicory with the apple and onions is so good, mingled with the brown sugar in the dressing. Eat with a beef stew, fish pie, fishcakes, hamburgers, anything you like, a tiny ray of sunshine on a Winters day.

I have also given my recipe for French dressing, which my Mother taught me how to make. “Look at your hand, 4 fingers and one thumb. 4 spoons of oil to one spoon of vinegar”. The secret is not shaking all the ingredients together, but whisking them. Quick to make and a world away from bought dressings. Keeps in the fridge for ages too.

For the Coleslaw you will need;

Half a small white cabbage

2  heads of chicory

2 small red onions or one large Spanish onion (or a bit of both)

2 large carrots, shredded or finely sliced

2 handfuls of juicy plump rasins

Large Bramley apple

Half a cucumber (wash and leave the skin)

4 firm tomatoes

Use a food processor to make it simple and roughly shred or chop the cabbage, chicory, onions, carrots and apple into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes into quarters and add to the cabbage, and shred some basil leaves into the mix.

 French Dressing 

Into a jam jar pour 8 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar, a good pinch of salt, good pinch coarse black pepper, teaspoon of soft brown sugar, a sprinkling of dried, mixed herbs, a teaspoon of English mustard, a clove of pressed or finely chopped garlic, and the magic ingredient, a heaped teaspoon of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.

With a small whisk, whizz all the ingredients together until you have a lovely, thick, shiny dressing. Pour half over the coleslaw, and mix all the veg round until well coated. Leave half in the jar, put the top on and back in the fridge for next time.