Get Slawtered

Here I am! The last few weeks have been a little hectic, so I went underground for a bit. We're celebrating a one-year anniversary of the Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market on Sunday, April 29 and I've been busy wrapping everything up, as well as tending to a few other new projects. Sometimes, we all need a break from our every day obligations and duties, though it does feel good to get back on track. So, let's get going.

With warmer weather upon us, we saw the season's first peaches at the market last Sunday. They are good, but will only get better with time. By late May and early June, we'll be in peach heaven. Strawberries have also been a big hit at the market and blackberries are soon to follow!

Over the last few weeks, we've been eating our fair share of sauteed asparagus and kale, roasted golden beets and just recently started grilling up the season's first zucchini. Salads, too, have been a mainstay in our world. (I have been eating tons of Indian cucumbers!)

Often times, David will decry, "No more salads!" And he has said this many times already even though it's early in the "salad season." But when we stumbled upon strawberry grouper--one of our favorites--at Groomer's, I knew he would agree that cole slaw would pair nicely with this classic Caribbean fish.

The blue cheese cole slaw we have made before doesn't go with this dish and I didn't want the Bahamian rendition with raisins either. In my stash of recipes "to make" I found a cilantro cole slaw by Kent Rathbun. Having had this recipe in my "to do" file for over a year, I always knew a day would come when this recipe would be the "chosen one."

Naturally, we revised it a bit and added the Hunter-Lent signature. The lime vinaigrette cole slaw calls for jicama and jalapeno--both of which add flavor and texture combined with lots of cilantro for a fresh, herbaceous flavor. Toss in some shredded carrots, green and red cabbage for color and a hot weather cole slaw is yours! Just in time for the backyard BBQ and pool parties.

Buen provecho!

Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw
The Cowgirl Gourmet adapted this recipe from Kent Rathbun

Print recipe

The combination of flavors, colors and textures are spot on. The original recipe adds shrimp and that sounds great, but we deleted the shrimp and added a touch of Marzetti's slaw dressing (the light version) to the top of each serving of cole slaw. This sweet flavor balanced so well with the cilantro, lime and jalapeno. Sprinkle a few raw organic pumpkin seeds on top for great crunch.


Serves 6

1/3 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 head of white cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 jicama, peeled and julienned (cut into matchstick pieces)
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
1 garlic clove, diced
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Marzetti's Lite salad dressing, garnish (optional)
Raw organic pumpkin seeds, optional garnish

In a large bowl, place thinly sliced cabbages, matchstick pieces of jicama, grated carrot and cilantro.

In a small bowl, add the lime juice, diced jalapeno, diced garlic, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and taste. Adjusting seasonings if needed.

Pour dressing over slaw and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Once you plate the cole slaw, you can choose to drizzle a little Marzetti's Lite salad dressing over the top. This will give the cole slaw a touch of sweetness to balance the flavors of the jalapeno, lime and oil. Then sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds for added crunch.