sprinklefingers

i realize cole slaw is one of those ‘dividing’ foods - either you love it or you hate it…you rarely ‘kind of’ like it. i love it. i especially love it on two meaty delights: hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches.

i think it all started when i was a kid. we lived in thomaston, georgia. i have some memories of my time in thomaston that will stick with me always, but none shine so bright as my memories of meals eaten at thomaston’s famed piggie park.

piggie park is the place that convinced me slaw on a hot dog was the only way to go. piggie park convinced me that dipping fries in a chocolate shake can be one of the best treats ever. piggie park is responsible for my learning to ride a bike. honest.

here’s how it happened:

when it comes to bike riding, i was a late bloomer. how late? well, i didn’t fully learn to ride a bike until i was nine years old. and the reason i didn’t learn is because i was the kind of kid who was going to do the exact opposite of what everyone else was doing. all the kids in the ‘hood can ride bikes? not me. all the kids in the ‘hood like steve perry? not me. all the girls in the ‘hood are in love with the jeppe brothers? certainly not me!

and then it happened. all the other kids were off on some kind of monumental multi-mile bike ride. and while they were gone i decided to get my bike out and kind of foot-push myself around the street. i was outside (instead of inside playing with my breyer horses as usual) because i was waiting for my dad to bring piggie park home for dinner. i was so excited i could almost taste my slaw-dog.

now, my third grade teacher (the glorious and perfect mrs. buffington,) lived up the street from us. and when i say ‘up the street’ i mean it - her house sat on mountain view drive - the road to get there was a huge hill. for some reason, on this particular day, i foot-pushed myself up the big hill to roll past her house and see if she was outside. but as i got to the top of the hill i turned around just in time to see my dad pulling onto our street - with piggie park in the car!

excitement took over and i put both feet on the pedals. i nudged myself to the tip of the hill and momentum took over - soon i was speeding down the hill towards home - RIDING A BIKE! it all happened in a flash, but the next thing i knew i was flying past my own driveway and i could see my dad standing by the car holding bags of the precious piggie-stuff. not quite knowing how i should stop i did what any nine year old who just took her first official bike ride would do - i ran directly into a ditch. perfect.

little did i know that within seconds of departing the top of the hill, my sister and her gang of bike riding neighborhood friends rolled up to the top as well. and it’s from this vantage point that they watched me fly all the way down the hill and directly into a ditch.

as soon as i realized i had not been hurt i could hear it - their screams and cheers and crazy excitement that i had finally learned to ride a bike. as they rolled up next to me they promised they’d help me learn to stop on my own - no ditch required.

that night’s hot dog (with slaw) was, to this day, one of the best things i’ve ever eaten.

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yogurt slaw
serves 8

this recipe calls for strawberry jam. yes, it makes the slaw pink. yes, it makes it delicious. but if scares you, just substitute equal parts sugar.

you need:

• 2/3 cup whole milk plain yogurt
• 4 T apple cider vinegar
• 2 T strawberry jam
• 2 t dijon mustard
• 1 small head cabbage, shredded
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
• 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
• salt & pepper for seasoning

make the slaw:

1. in a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, jam and mustard. add a bit of salt & pepper and taste. too sweet? add vinegar. not sweet enough? add jam or granulated sugar. not enough zing? add mustard. needs more overall flavor? add salt & pepper. hate yogurt? sorry, you shouldn’t have made this in the first place… (i mean, seriously.) (okay, fine. if you hate yogurt, try making this recipe substituting mayo for the yogurt in equal parts. you’re welcome.)
2. to the above ingredients add the shredded cabbage, yellow onion and carrot. stir well to coat all the vegetables with the dressing.
3. refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.

notes:

• yogurt in place of the mayo obviously makes this slaw a bit healthier, and it also gives the slaw a yogurty taste. around here we love it.
• i started putting jam in my slaw 3 or 4 summers ago. i can’t quite remember how it happened, but i do know no one complains when they eat it. but, really, if it’s not your thing, just use sugar.
• your slaw will keep in the fridge for just about 2 days. warning: on the second day the cabbage will start to feel a bit soft.

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here’s a map of my old ‘hood. we lived in a ranch house on ponderosa drive. we had a brahama bull farm in our backyard. looking at this now i can hardly believe we were lucky enough to have so much land around us: