Spectacular Overnight Slaw

Sunday after the Gathering. Quiet. Same recovery as last year. We sat on the porch. Hannah said: fifty-three. I said: yes. She said: at fifty next year? I said: maybe. She said: the answer is no. I said: I know. The growth is going to plateau at some point. We'll need to find the right size. Maybe sixty is the right size. Maybe a hundred. I don't know. We'll figure it out.

Tuesday Miriam started moving in with Caleb. Carloads. She has a small apartment in Stilwell that she's been keeping. She's ending the lease at the end of November. The transition is gradual, the way Caleb said it would be. She's here on weeknights now. She's at his place every Saturday after the property work. The two of them are setting up a life. I went over to Caleb's Wednesday to help him put up a shelf in the kitchen for Miriam's pottery — she has a small collection, things she's made over the years. I welded the brackets in his living room while he held the level. The brackets went in straight. The shelf is in. Miriam's pottery is on it. Three small bowls, a tall vase, a serving plate.

The cohort is in week eight. Dwight is now mostly stepping back. I'm doing the demonstrations. The shoulder holds for the demonstrations. The fifty-eight-year-old woman is leading her cohort in technique — she's got the steadiest hands of anyone in the bay. I watch her work and I think: there's still time, when there's still time.

Saturday Caleb brought Miriam to the property. She brought a bag with her. She stayed the whole day. We had dinner. She and Hannah talked. The four of us were a unit at dinner. Caleb watched her with a face I keep trying to find new ways to describe. Miriam went home with Caleb at nine. Hannah said as we cleaned up: she's family. I said: yes. Hannah said: how does that happen so fast. I said: it doesn't. Six months. We met her in March. It's October. That's six months and it's still slow. Hannah said: yes. We let it be.

We had fifty-three people at the Gathering and by Sunday I was running on fumes and porch silence and Hannah’s patient math. Wednesday I was at Caleb’s with a welder and a level, helping him make a place for Miriam’s pottery, and by Saturday the four of us were sitting down together like we’d been doing it for years. When a week moves like that — all logistics and leveling and slow dinners that feel like something settling into place — the last thing I want is a recipe that asks anything of me at the moment I need to eat. I made this slaw the night before, the same way I do after every Gathering: you put it together, you let it work on its own, and by the time the table is set it’s ready.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 8 hrs 25 min (overnight) | Servings: 10

Ingredients

1 medium head green cabbage (about 8 cups shredded)
1 small head red cabbage (about 2 cups shredded)
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prep the vegetables. Shred both cabbages and the carrots using a sharp knife or box grater. Thinly slice the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Combine all vegetables in a large bowl or deep container with a lid.
Add the first sugar layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar over the vegetable mixture and toss lightly to distribute. Do not stir vigorously — just coat. Let sit while you make the dressing.
Make the hot dressing. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider vinegar, oil, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, salt, dry mustard, celery seed, and black pepper. Bring to a full boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3–5 minutes.
Pour and press. Pour the hot dressing evenly over the vegetable mixture. Do not stir. Press the vegetables down gently with a spoon so the dressing makes contact throughout. Cover tightly.
Refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. The vegetables will wilt and the flavors will meld into a tangy, lightly sweet slaw.
Toss and serve. Before serving, toss the slaw thoroughly from the bottom up to redistribute the dressing that has settled. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve cold directly from the container or transfer to a serving bowl.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spectacular Overnight Slaw — The Shelf Is In, the Table Is Set