Gingered Beet and Cabbage Slaw
I love the fresh flavors and crunchiness of this beet and cabbage slaw. It is great on it's own and as a topping on a sandwich made from my Cane Marinated Pork Shoulder. And of course, I add the beet greens to the slaw. I think there is always a struggle when preparing recipes like this because they always call for a medium head of cabbage or 5 small beets. What does that mean anyway? In this recipe I state specific weights for the vegetables so that the quantity of dressing is a perfect match for the amount of vegetable. I typically have unused cabbage which I use for another recipe. You can of course double the dressing recipe and do the math to determine how much to add. Everybody always loves this slaw, but be careful not to make more than you can use in a couple days.
Crunchy raw beets and fresh ginger add another level of flavor to an otherwise traditional slaw recipe.
- 2 oz ginger root, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 lb green cabbage, shredded (about 1 small cabbage)
- 4 oz carrot, shredded (about 2 small peeled carrots)
- 1 lb raw beets, julienne (beets vary in size, this was 5 unpeeled beets, scrubbed well. I achieve the best results when I cut the beets by hand. I have used a number of different cutting blades and found that the food processing machines tend to make the beets soggy.)
- 1 Bunch beet greens, cut chiffonade (reserved from beets)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- Vegetable Preparation
Top the beets and remove stems from leaves, placing greens in cold water to soak. Scrub the beets well and cut julienne. Shred carrot with box grater. Cut cabbage as for slaw. If you like a crunchier slaw cut in coarse julienne. For less crunchy slaw grate. Cut ginger finely. To cut beet greens easily, stack and roll together in a cigar shape and slice end.
- For the dressing
Combine sugar and vinegar in a small sauce pan. Heat on low and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add mayonnaise and stir well.
- To make slaw
Place cabbage in medium sized bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix well. Let stand 10 minutes.
If you like your slaw to be crunchier, skip this step and add the salt to the dressing instead. 
Combine julienne beets, shredded carrots, and ginger with cabbage and mix in dressing. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Add chiffonade beet greens and fresh mint right before serving.