Changing Tastes : After Many Years, She’s Won Over by Coleslaw

As a girl I thought coleslaw was, well, sickening. How could anybody want to eat anything that looked so pale and tasted so strong? Worse yet, it always seemed to have mayonnaise on it. My sister liked mayonnaise and coleslaw and I had to share a room with her; I wasn’t about to share her tastes.

But now I’m grown up and my sister lives in another city (although she still likes mayonnaise). I like mayonnaise now too, not to mention coleslaw (even the pale looking kind). But the recipe here isn’t so pale; I’ve added very finely sliced red pepper and grated carrots for color. A pair of grated apples add flavor that rounds out the cabbage very nicely.

For a Quick Picnic

This is an easy recipe to pack up for a quick picnic. The colorful ingredients can be tossed in their dressing and carted off in a single container (you can even make it the day before).

More likely, my plan would be to prepare the slaw while the dessert is baking. I’ve liked brownies since I was a girl (so did my sister). Back then she and I would bake them with walnuts. But for a grown-up picnic, now I sprinkle them with pistachios. They can be carried along in their pan to the picnic, hot from the oven, as soon as the coleslaw is tossed.

On the way to the park stop at the store for a ham, some smoked turkey or fried chicken, a loaf of bread and drinks. It’s so easy, I think I’ll pack a picnic the next time I go to visit my sister. She’ll be surprised to see the coleslaw.

APPLE COLESLAW

2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and grated

3 cups finely shredded cabbage

1 cup grated carrots

1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sour cream

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Dash sugar

Salt, pepper

In large bowl, combine apples, cabbage, carrots and sweet red pepper.

In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream, mustard and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to salad and toss to coat evenly. Makes 6 to 8 servings.