Laboring on Labor Day

By Lori Powell

It’s the Labor Day weekend. Well to some….

I will be in San Francisco shopping for a cookbook shoot but if I were resting my laurels on this lovely long weekend, I would be having a BBQ or better yet, attending one. There is a lot of labor in Labor Day, if you know what I mean.  Especially for those of you who are hosting that  BBQ.

In the spirit of the day I am keeping my blog short. Hopefully the weather will oblige all of the outdoor festivities with a sunny, non-humid day of sorts, with a slight breeze rendering a lovely, bug-free time for all.

Please enjoy my non-dairy coleslaw that I concocted and made by the gallons for our past Hurley Corn Festival, which is my town’s biggest fundraiser benefitting the Hurley Historical Society. The coleslaw was served on top of or alongside our BBQ pork sliders. I recommend that in the spirit of the day, you purchase the pulled BBQ pork from your neighborhood joint rather than make it yourself, to help you relax and enjoy your company.

This slaw, made with bagged shredded cabbage, is given a makeover with the addition of freshly grated carrots, sliced peppers, red onion, mango, lime juice, honey, cider vinegar and toasted poppy seeds. The poppy seeds lend a crunchy and almost bitter quality (in a good way) as a counterpoint to the sweet additions in this slaw, while the acid tempers that sweetness. Enjoy the slaw alongside grilled meat, fish, poultry, any form of tacos, as well as the usual suspects – burgers, sausages and hot dogs.

Confetti Mango Coleslaw
Serves about 16
This sounds like a lot of slaw but the cabbage wilts quite a bit and is best made the day before, allowing the flavors to marry.

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup honey or to taste
¼ cup fresh lime juice or to taste
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup poppy seeds toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
One 48 oz bag (3 lbs) shredded coleslaw, about 24 cups
4 carrots shredded in the food processor
1 small red onion, sliced thin
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and sliced
1 firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into matchsticks
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Whisk together in a serving bowl the first 7 ingredients.
2. Toss in the remaining ingredients and chill, covered, overnight.
3. Readjust seasonings before serving.

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