Big ol’ Head of Cabbage

I love ingredients from the market that last for weeks and weeks. Part of it is, they are so fresh on market day. Even baby greens will last ten days. Of course, they skip the lame cross-county truck ride. Coolly, these veggies simply shake off their soil and hitch the short ride to the big city.

Potatoes, onions and other root vegetables are obvious examples of pantry staples. But a big head of lettuce can also last weeks and star in a number of meals. Here’s what I am making as a side dish tonight:

Creole Cole Slaw
Serves 4 or a very hungry 2

- based VERY loosely on a recipe in the current Bon Appetit (May 2009). Their recipe calls for green cabbage and prepared Creole mustard. I had white cabbage from Phillips Farm in NJ available. White cabbage tends to be tougher than green, so I added a boiling step. And I made my own mustard spread, to save a trip to a, gasp, store.

5 cups heavy white cabbage, cored and sliced thin

Fill a large deep sauce pan with water, salt and bring to a boil (as if you were making pasta). Add cabbage. Boil about twenty minutes until tender but not mushy. (again, as if you were making pasta). Drain in a colander and pour cold water over immediately to stop the cooking process. Refrigerate and make dressing.

Dressing
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs ground mustard powder
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon old bay
juice of half a lemon (about 1 Tbs)
¼ cup mayo

Add 1 Tbs mustard to oil in a small boil. Wisk with a fork until smooth. Add the final Tbs of mustard. Wisk again. Add vinegar and wisk. Add seasonings and lemon juice. Wisk. Fold in mayo.

If you would like, mix cooled cabbage with

1 minced red onion (optional) and
½ cup grated carrot (optional).

Dress thoroughly. Chill until ready to serve.