GOLDIE’S COLE SLAW

SERVES 8

COLE SLAW IS AWESOME because it’s one of the few salads that works in every season. This version is based on my wife’s grandmother’s specialty. Cole slaw is a way to use all those hard-to-love root vegetables, like red or black radish or kohlrabi, or just delicious carrots. I make mine with homemade mayo (which only takes a few minutes, and believe me, it’s worth the trouble). Use the mayonnaise again as a dip for vegetables; make aioli for grilled fish by adding minced garlic; or add a little ketchup, brandy, and pickles for Thousand Island dressing. Cutting the cabbage (and other vegetables) very thinly matters here.

FOR THE MAYONNAISE

2 egg yolks

½ tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup peanut or grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Fresh lemon juice

FOR THE SLAW

1 medium head cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced

3 carrots, thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

To make the mayonnaise, secure a medium bowl by placing it in a towel-lined heavy pot just big enough to hold it firmly. Combine the yolks and mustard in the bowl, add salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add the olive oil drop by drop while whisking continuously; as the oil incorporates, it forms a nice emulsified mayonnaise. After you’ve whisked in all the olive oil, slowly whisk in the peanut or grapeseed oil, then add the vinegar and a squeeze of lemon juice. You can make the mayonnaise in a food processor, but I like to do it by hand for control, especially for a small amount.

Combine the cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, and parsley in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise little by little until the slaw is as creamy as you like it. Season with the vinegar and lemon juice, and add salt and pepper.