Southern Coleslaw

Fourth of July at Steve and Patty's, same as every year. Steve grilled. Ryan assisted. The twins wore their red-white-and-blue outfits, which Patty had bought in exactly the right size this year because she has learned from two previous years of size miscalculation. Owen wore his and said "America" with the confidence of a child who has learned a word and intends to use it. I do not know where he learned it but he said it with conviction and that is sufficient.

The sparklers this year: Nora held one with full command, no hesitation, no looking for permission. She waved it in the evening air and watched the light with the expression she has when she encounters something excellent and is absorbing it for future reference. Owen held his carefully and did not wave it, just watched it burn down, which is exactly Owen, conserving, observing, taking it in. Ryan filmed both of them. The video is already on my phone as a favorite. It will be on the wall eventually.

Ryan's posting details came. He is being assigned to Engine 12 on the West Side, which is not his current station, which means a commute and a new crew and a new house to learn. He is not concerned. I am not concerned, because he is not, and because I have watched him adapt to things his whole life with the equanimity of a man who trusts his own competence and does not borrow trouble. He will know Engine 12 within a month. He will know his crew within a week. This is Ryan.

The summer cooking is in full operation: batch salads and cold soups and the slow cooker running three nights a week with things that need no tending. I have three months with Owen and Nora before school starts and I am in them, fully, the park and the farmers market and the backyard and the afternoons where we sit on the floor and play with blocks and I read to them and they fall asleep in the reading and I sit in the quiet with two sleeping toddlers and think: this. Exactly this. For as long as it lasts.

With Steve at the grill and the backyard full and the twins in their red-white-and-blue outfits, the food that holds a day like that together is always something cold and waiting — something already made, already resting in the refrigerator while everything else is loud and lit up with sparklers. Southern coleslaw is exactly that dish for me: I make a big batch the night before, it only gets better by the time the burgers come off the grill, and it travels beautifully from counter to table to second helpings without any fuss. It is summer batch cooking at its most honest, and on a Fourth of July that already had everything it needed, this was the one thing I could make ahead and not think about again.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 small head green cabbage (about 2 lbs), finely shredded
1/2 small head red cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Shred the cabbage. Remove the outer leaves from both cabbages and cut each head into quarters, removing the cores. Finely shred by hand or using the shredding disc of a food processor. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Add the vegetables. Add the grated carrots and sliced green onions to the bowl with the cabbage. Toss together to distribute evenly.
Make the dressing. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, celery seed, salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully combined.
Dress the slaw. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture. Toss thoroughly until every piece of cabbage is evenly coated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Chill before serving. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. For best results — and this is especially true for a make-ahead Fourth of July — chill overnight. The cabbage softens slightly and the flavors meld beautifully.
Serve. Toss once more before serving. Serve cold directly from the refrigerator alongside grilled meats, burgers, or hot dogs.

Nutrition (per serving)

Southern Coleslaw — The Make-Ahead Side That Holds the Whole Summer Together