A Winter Salad

Down in the Deep South, leafy greens are generally winter vegetables. My favorite leafy greens are lettuce, (preferably purple) kale, and cabbage: all are quite tasty and super-easy to grow.



Yesterday, I picked a head of cabbage from the yard. I'd like to call it a garden, but I just tuck random veggies into various beds in any place they'll fit. I had earlier picked some of the tougher outside leaves to steam for stuffed cabbage rolls, and I had the nice, tender, sweet head of cabbage left to eat raw.



I used a mandoline to finely slice the cabbage. I cut the head into chunks, and then mandolined each chunk separately.



The result was a mostly fine shred with a few bigger leaves remaining.



After the cabbage was shredded, I washed it and placed it in a large bowl. I added a dressing made from a recipe found somewhere online, and I tossed in sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Toasting really brings out the flavor in seeds and nuts!



Next, I tossed everything together using these magic salad hands. My friend Joann brought me this beautiful set from the Phillipines!



I had intended to have this as a side dish, so I'd braised some chicken and expected to bake some bread. Instead, my son fell asleep on the sofa, so I topped the salad with some shredded chicken and cherry tomatoes. Amazingly - and because of this strange winter weather we've had this year - I have cabbage and tomatoes growing and ripening at the same time!



It was delicious! If I'd thought about it, I would have tossed in some cilantro, too. I'll add that to the leftovers!

And what to do with extra leftover cabbage? Dehydrate it, of course! Cabbage rehydrates perfectly, very much like freshly prepared cabbage, and makes a delicious treat on a backpacking trip. Now if I could only find the hiking trail .........