Cabbage and apple salad

This weekend is thanksgiving in Canada, and there are many family recipes and traditions that surround this celebration.  For one of my best friends it would not be a turkey dinner with out this salad that her mother used to make, so I asked her to write it up to share.

Gillian has asked me to be a guest blogger to feature this family favourite so here goes.

We all have some tradition that we bring to our festive meals.  My signature dish known to all who shares my turkey dinner has been this salad, which has been passed down by mother, and I believe my grandmother.  The crisp texture and fresh taste an excellent complement to the comfort flavours and soft textures of a turkey dinner.  The other bonus is that this salad is equally good for at least the next day or two.

The salad is generous portion that is perfect for the extra meals the next day.  While proportions can vary I suggest the following ingredients.

• 
  
• 1 medium green cabbage, chopped 
• 2 apples, firm varieties i.e.: granny smith, Spartan or 1 of each
• 2 stocks celery, diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped, with some sprigs for garnish
• Optional:  ¼ cup toasted almonds and/or ¼ cup dried cranberries

Dressing

• 1 lemon
• Mayonnaise, ½ cup
•         ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• Salt, 1 tsp.
• ½ tsp. curry power
• 1 tsp. sugar

 Prepare the vegetables and fruit.  Start with the cabbage.   I can remember my mother chopping up the apple on a tin pie plate using a raw sharp edge of an empty tin can.  It was pretty effective but certainly more labour intensive than the food processor.  I only have a small one so chop up the cabbage to pieces big enough for the processor to chop to small chunks. 

Dice the celery and onion. 

 Then squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl you will mix the dressing in. Quarter the apples and core out seed and pulp. Chop the apple to ½ chunks; leave skins on as it adds to the colour.  I bath the chopped apple in the juice to prevent it from discolouring and use the remaining juice for the dressing. 

Combine all the veg’s and fruit in a bowl.

Mix the remaining dressing ingredients in the bowl with lemon and whip till well blended.

Add to the vegetable bowl and mix gently fold with a spatula. 

This can be made hours in advance and kept chilled.  When ready to serve, turn out into a glass bowl and garnish with apple and parsley.

While this dish is standard fair for my turkey dinners it also goes equally well with pork.