Vinegar Coleslaw

The ISFA work continues — another kitchen table this week, another young family with numbers that might work. I sat across from a couple in Warren County and laid out the grants and watched their faces change from fear to possibility, and the change is the thing I live for now.

I made corned beef and cabbage this week — the spring version, the one that fills the kitchen with the smell that means this time of year, this stage of life, this specific Tuesday when the stove is warm and the family is fed and the feeding is the point. Kevin ate seconds. The man always eats seconds. The eating is the approval and the approval is the marriage.

The garden is waking up. The garlic that overwintered is pushing green shoots through the soil, the annual proof that buried things come back. Jack's seedlings are hardening off in the greenhouse. The Marlene cherry tomato — generation 4 now — ready for transplanting. Every spring the planting is the memorial. Every spring the name goes back in the ground.

The corned beef does its own thing for hours, but the cabbage deserves a moment of its own—and this spring, I’ve been making a simple vinegar coleslaw alongside it that cuts right through the richness and tastes like the season itself: bright, a little sharp, waking up. After a week of sitting across kitchen tables from families trying to find their footing, I wanted something that felt clear and uncomplicated on my own table. Kevin ate a second helping of this too, which, around here, is the only review that counts.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus 30 min chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 small head green cabbage (about 2 lbs), cored and thinly shredded
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prep the vegetables. Shred the cabbage as thinly as you can and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the grated carrot and sliced red onion and toss to combine.
Make the dressing. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil, celery seed, salt, dry mustard, and black pepper. Stir and heat just until the sugar dissolves, 2—3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Dress the slaw. Pour the warm dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly so every strand is coated. The cabbage will begin to wilt slightly—this is exactly what you want.
Chill before serving. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Toss again before serving. The slaw keeps well for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vinegar Coleslaw — The Cabbage That Keeps Showing Up at Our Table