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You can serve this recipe without freezing the coleslaw — or you can make it up ahead of time (such as before Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner) and store it in the refrigerator or the freezer until you're ready to use it. And in addition to other health benefits (fiber for one), researchers now think there is a component in cabbage that keeps breast cancer cells from dividing.
• 1 medium head of cabbage OR 2 to 3 packages of shredded cabbage (ever since I scraped my knuckles raw grating cabbage for 150 people for a church dinner, I have preferred to use the shredded cabbage you can buy at the grocery store )
• 3 sticks of celery chopped
• 1 teaspoon of celery seed
• 1/2 green pepper chopped (optional)
Boil the following for 1 minute:
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Then:
Pour over the cabbage, celery and green pepper mixture. (If it seems like it's way too soupy, which will depend a lot upon the moisture content of the cabbage you're using, add the third package of shredded cabbage. If you're going to freeze it, however, you do want the coleslaw to be covered with liquid.)
At this point, you can let the coleslaw sit in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or overnight and serve, or you can put it into containers and freeze. The coleslaw will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.
Note: this recipe works very well for red cabbage, which makes a pretty side dish.
LeAnn R. Ralph is a newspaper reporter in Wisconsin. She also is the author of books about growing up on a small family dairy farm 40 years ago. The Midwest Book Review calls this series of books “Highly recommended reading!” You are invited to sign up for the twice-monthly newsletter from Rural Route 2 -- http://ruralroute2. com
