Summer Coleslaw

With temperatures almost reaching three digits on the Fahrenheit scale, I, like many other people along the East Coast, have been craving barbecue fare. I've never quite understood why I find barbecuing during the summer so much fun when being in front of a hot grill on a scorching day is actually very tortuous.

I love the burgers, kielbasa, skirt steak and other foods cooked on the grill but my favorite part of the barbecuing experience is eating the refreshing side dishes. Coleslaw, for example, is one of my favorites.

Coleslaw is quite the versatile salad, as its primary ingredient, cabbage, is available year round. In the Philadelphia metro area, it grows during the fall, some farmers use different styles of hoop houses to keep it going during the winter and in grows beautifully in the cool spring temperatures. Three varieties that are commonly seen in the area are red (purple), green, Napa (Chinese) and Savoy.

With four varieties of cabbage in different colors and shades to start out with, one can make the slaw as colorful as time, budget and creativity permit. Typically, the cabbage is dressed in mayonnaise to make coleslaw but many people make great tasting coleslaw using other sauces and dressings. In the version at the end of this post, the dressing is made from ground pepitas.

My work these days has been revolving around a curriculum for junior high and high school students on how to design menus. With the youth in mind, the recipes included in the curriculum have a brief seasonal ingredient list, require little or no cooking and few tools. Coleslaw, for its ease of preparation, great nutritional value, and great taste is on list of recipes to include in the curriculum.

Coleslaw or kool sla is said to have been popularized by Dutch immigrants in the Pennsylvania region centuries ago. Throughout the state a popular version of coleslaw that I see on many menus is Asian slaw, usually involving black sesame seeds and a sesame oil vinaigrette.

Here's my first early summer version that goes great with or on burgers of any kind, veggie, beef, chicken or whatever you fancy.

The cabbage for today's recipe test came from the Earth Keeper's garden in West Philadelphia. What a great group of inspired young people!

Early Summer Slaw
Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

1 small cabbage head
1 roasted red pepper
2 radishes
Leaves from 6 stems of cilantro
1/2 yellow summer squash

Dressing::
1/4 cup of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 clove of garlic
1 basil leaves
2 mint leaves
2 Tbsp vinegar of your choice
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp maple syrup

Method

1. Make the dressing first by combining all ingredients in a coffee grinder or small food processor.
2. Chop the cabbage into fine strips (julienne), then finely chop them into small pieces.
3. Grate the summer squash.
4. Finely chop the radishes, and the roasted red peppers.
5. Add everything to a bowl and season with salt and pepper, if you desire.

Savory Watermelons

“I ain’t had a good watermelon since I left the country.” For twenty summers, my grandmother Esther, a Louisiana native, has reminded me that I have never tasted a good watermelon. Every year we try many melons and discuss our findings. Some are ok, but none are ever great to my grandmother. What was so different about the watermelons of her youth?

“They were just so good.” “My dad sure did know when to pick ‘em.” “He never cut one that wasn’t ripe.”

In 2008, I enjoyed sweet watermelon in New York’s Hudson Valley that surely would have impressed my grandmother. Aside from the delicious bright yellow, orange and pink watermelons I devoured that summer, most other watermelons I have eaten were absolutely full of water but void of taste. Hence my usual inclination to reach for a squeeze of lime juice, salt and cayenne pepper on the juicy cubes to liven up the eating experience. How can some watermelons be so much more flavorful than others?

According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, about 50 watermelon varieties are widely grown across the USA and throughout the world about 1900 types are known. Watermelons grow well in sandy soil according to the NWPB. Since watermelons need plenty of water, sandy soil allows for good drainage.

Surely there are watermelon farmers today that grow their fruit in sandy nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium rich soil, with lots of sunlight and plenty of rain and available water. But do these conditions alone ensure flavor?

Watermelons that rank low on the sweet index should not be thrown into the compost pile or discarded as outcasts. Rather than be assessed for their sweetness alone, watermelons may have other flavor properties. This summer’s crops from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland have a gentle sweetness and a mild sodium flavor-- much more akin to that of the beefstake tomato. This season, instead of appreciating them for sweetness alone, watermelons can join tomatoes, onions and garlic in raw salsas and other sauces.

Nutritionally, watermelons and tomatoes both contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant said to aid in cancer prevention. Watermelons contain a bit more than tomatoes.

Rather than be saddened by my grandmother’s stories of sugary sweet watermelons of the past, I believe my generation and those to come may embrace watermelon in preparations beside fruit salad. Savory applications like refreshing cold gazpacho soup, pico de gallo salsa or barbeque sauce might be good uses of watermelons this season. The options are as extensive as our creativity.

At my house, watermelon was the primary ingredient in our sofrito this month. Try this sauce on enchiladas or dress sautéed shrimp in watermelon sofrito with a splash of lime for a delicious summer taco filling.

Summer sofrito

Yield: 1 quart

Olive oil 3 Tbsp

Onions, medium dice 1 ea

Garlic, minced 2 cloves

Watermelon cubes 2 cups

Tomatoes, beefstake, diced 1 ea

Sweet pepper, red, roasted 1 ea

Cilantro leaves, chopped 2 Tbsp

Cumin, ground 1 tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Cayenne pepper ½ tsp

Ginger, ground 1 tsp

1. Sweat the onions over medium heat until they become translucent. Avoid browning the onions.

2. Add the garlic to the translucent onions. When you begin to smell the garlic cooking, add the tomatoes and turn the burner to high heat. When the tomatoes to begin to simmer, turn of the flame and place the contents in the blender. Add the additional ingredients to the blender. Blend to a smooth consistency.

Serving suggestion: Use this sofrito in rice dishes or soak corn tortillas in the warm sauce before rolling the meat, cheese or vegetables filling for enchiladas.

Photo below: Enchiladas, purple cabbage slaw, turmeric coconut rice