A Semi-Tropical Meal for Almost-Springtime

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, in honor of which I will post a recipe featuring CABBAGE.

"Cabbage, the great food of the bachelor" as a certain member of my family refers to it. "It never goes bad," he adds, championing the qualities of the vegetable. To say nothing of its vitamins and fiber, which I'm sure it has both. It also, unlike a limp salad of lettuce, actually seems like FOOD. This is important (to me).

As I mentioned before, I took a trip to Philadelphia the other weekend. We were headed South and imagined that the comfortable leather seats of the Bolt Bus had taken us all the way to a tropical paradise. We cooked dinner on Saturday night and our meal was themed around this fantasy.

THE MEAL:

Spicy Sauteed Shrimp
Coconut Brown Rice
Fancy (Island) Cabbage Salad
Cucumber Gin Martinis


Cabbage Salad Recipe:

ingredients for salad:
one small red cabbage (or half a huge one)
a handful of peanuts
smattering of raw green beans

(optional and delicious: mango chunks)
(optional and delicious: avocado slices)

ingredients for dressing:
half of a red onion
one bunch cilantro
a few tablespoons of white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
a few tablespoons of olive oil
a few tablespoons of regular sugar (or honey, agave, anything)
juice from two limes
salt/pepper to taste

Chopping is the worst part.

I diced the onions and chopped the cilantro (as fine as possible for both) and put them in a bowl with the oil, vinegar, lime juice and sugar. Mix that all up together and taste it, modify as necessary.

Cut the cabbage (and green beans) into bite-size chunks (I mean, whatever). Dump the dressing over it. Garnish with avocado. Add salt if necessary.

[Photos/Camera courtesy EMH, who also acted as sous chef xo]