Apple Slaw — The Taste of a September Barn

Mid-September and the foliage is just beginning. A maple here, a maple there — the ridge above the farm showing its first suggestions of color, the individual trees that always go first. This is the stage of the display that requires paying attention. Two weeks from now it will be impossible to miss. Right now it's something you have to look for. I prefer this stage, honestly. The thing that asks you to pay attention is different from the thing that announces itself.

The apple cider pressing happened this weekend at the Hendersons'. My Macs in boxes in the truck, the drive over, the press running with the particular smell and sound of apples becoming something else. Twelve gallons of fresh sweet cider. I drank two glasses standing in the barn, still cold from the press. That specific taste is mid-September to me, one of the cleaner seasonal markers. You can't mistake it for any other month.

Bill from Maine received the gallon I mailed him and called to report. He said: I finally understand what you keep describing. I said: yes. He said: it doesn't taste like anything I've had. I said: it tastes like Vermont in September. He said: I'm planting apple trees. I told him: they'll take five years. He said: I have five years. He's seventy-three and planning for seventy-eight. That seems like the right attitude.

Teddy called on Sunday — his standard check-in, not a lesson. He's been cooking a lot on his own this year and calls to describe things rather than to ask how. He described a soup he made for his family on Saturday: butternut squash, roasted, with sage and brown butter. He said he used the method I showed him for the butternut soup but added the brown butter at the end on his own. I said: how did it taste? He said: very good. I said: keep that. He said: I already wrote it down.

After twelve gallons of fresh cider and two glasses drunk standing in the Hendersons’ barn, I came home still thinking about apples — the way the press reduces something hard and particular into something immediate and cold and sweet. I wasn’t ready to be done with them. This slaw is what I made that evening: no cooking, nothing complicated, just crisp apple and a sharp dressing that asks you to pay attention the same way the early foliage does. Teddy would approve of writing it down.

Apple Slaw

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 medium apples (Macintosh or Honeycrisp), cored and julienned or thinly sliced
• 3 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and celery seed until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the balance of acid and sweetness as needed.
2. Prep the apples. Core and julienne or thinly slice the apples just before assembling — working quickly or tossing them immediately in the lemon juice will keep them from browning.
3. Combine the slaw base. In a large bowl, combine the green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, and parsley. Toss to distribute evenly.
4. Add the apples. Add the prepared apples to the slaw base and toss gently to combine.
5. Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated. Start with about two-thirds of the dressing and add more to your preference.
6. Rest before serving. Let the slaw sit for at least 10 minutes before serving so the flavors settle and the cabbage softens slightly. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 145 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 160mg