Queso Fresco Coleslaw

Once upon a time there was a girl of German descent living with a boy of Italian descent in the desert of the American Southwest.

Boy and Girl enjoyed eating Thai food, drinking Mexican spirits, and cheering for Canadian hockey teams.

One day girl decided to get back to her roots and whip up some coleslaw. Boy was on board – he liked to live dangerously. Achtung!

And the time was right. Spring had sprung (Girl knew it to be true because she had started craving fresh fruits and veggies instead of chicken nuggets and Hot Pockets):  the last of the winter cabbage crop was still robust, and local farms were bursting with fresh, fragrant Spring onions.

The clock read ‘coleslaw’, and Girl was on the stick.

But this couldn’t just be any coleslaw. Girl needed to make a slammin, flavor-packed, multi-cultural coleslaw.

Celery seed! Mustard seed! Fresh garlic!

And, of course, some salty, crumbled queso fresco from south of the border.

Danke! De nada!

Ooh la la! Things were looking good.

“How do you say ‘picnic’ in Pig Latin?” Girl texted Boy.

“Et’slay ogay onway away icnicpay!” Boy texted back.

They packed up their basket (woven in Ireland), got on their bikes (manufactured in the Netherlands) and took their picnic to the local park (in Phoenix, Arizona).

The weather was fine. The birds were singing. And all was right in the big, big world.

That’s the power of a slammin coleslaw.

The End

Queso Fresco Coleslaw

3 c. green cabbage, shaved (A note on preparing the cabbage:  you’ll want to take the time to shave the coleslaw, instead of simply slicing or chopping it. Trust me, your digestive system will thank you. The best way to shave a head of cabbage is to quarter it, remove the solid core, stand one quarter on its side and simply shave downward on the edge of the cabbage using a sharp knife. Your shavings don’t need to be exactly the same size, but once you get in a rhythm they will become more uniform. If you wish, you can halve the longer shavings - I chose to simply leave them intact.)
3 c. purple cabbage, shaved
2 c. leeks, sliced
2 c. queso fresco, crumbled (Feta cheese may be substituted.)
3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. milk, whole
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard seed, ground
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Toss cabbage, leeks and queso fresco together in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, milk, celery seed, mustard seed, black pepper, garlic and salt into a uniform dressing. Pour over the cabbage and toss with tongs until all of the vegetables are well coated. Chill and serve.

As with most other salads, this coleslaw is best served cold. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to one week.

YIELD:  approximately 8-10 servings

This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you check out Suzanne Goin’s springtime recipes at www.maketimeforchange.com, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs. Plus, you’ll be entered for a chance to win the new Frigidaire Range with SymmetryTM Double Ovens – featuring two large ovens (that can each fit up to a 28 pound turkey!), providing the flexibility to cook multiple dishes at the same time at different temperatures, so you can get more on the table at the same time.