Birthdays and Coleslaw – A very good combination as it turns out

Growing up we didn’t go crazy with the birthdays. Don’t get me wrong - a fuss was made, to be sure, but there weren’t ponies or Jumpies or fancy restaurants or 100-person parties. For myself, I mean I think I stopped having friend-based birthday parties around the age of 11 or 12. I just couldn’t be bothered. It’s not that I didn’t, or don’t, like birthdays. Just the opposite, I love them, but I just didn’t want to make people come over and give me things or run the risk of no one showing up. That’s the crux of it of course, my former lack of a large cache of friends, whatever, not important…

So for me the best thing about birthdays, then and now, was the perk of being able to choose what to have for dinner. I do that most days now, but as a kid it was quite a treat and it still is if someone else does the cooking! The birthday boy or girl always gets to dictate the menu no matter how mismatched it may be. Growing up, my favorite was Chicken and Dumplings – I have a November birthday and that type of hot, homey food was the very thing. Of late my sister’s birthday meal of choice involves Flank Steak, the family Roasted Potatoes, and homemade Macaroni and Cheese. For my husband’s recent birthday his request was for Pulled Pork, Corn on the Cob, and Coleslaw and it is the coleslaw I would like to share with you today. It was damn good and if you are looking for a simple, tasty, summery salad, this is it.

Simple Coleslaw

1 head green cabbage, shredded
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, grated
15 or so sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips (not the kind in oil, though those would be ok, but the kind that come in bulk or little bags like dried apricots)

Dressing*
1 cup Mayonnaise
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon creamed horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste

To shred the cabbage, cut the head in half and using a very large knife, cut long, skinny strips and then cut those strips in half, like so…(see photo at left.)

Put all of the shredded cabbage into a very large salad bowl. Add the thinly sliced bell pepper, grated carrot (it’s just for color, really), and the sliced sun-dried tomatoes.

Mix up the dressing in a separate bowl, whisking the ingredients together well.

Dress the coleslaw and either serve immediately or refrigerate until you’re ready. It really goes very well with pulled pork though I think it would be terrific with just about any grilled meat you’re interested in having.

*Regarding the dressing: you don’t have to use this one if you are mayo-phobic, but I think a creamy-style dressing would be best so you could use whatever you like best within that category.

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