My Grandmother's Cole Slaw - the Perfect Picnic Side

I hate cole slaw. I will never eat it at restaurants, or from a tub from the market, or when someone makes it and brings it to a picnic. Unless...it is made the way my maternal grandmother makes it. Everyone besides my grandmother makes it super-mayonnaise-y and it tastes too heavy and creamy; you lose the cabbage and other flavors in the mayonnaise mayhem. When my grandmother makes cole slaw, it tastes lighter, lemon-ier, and much more refreshing. You are eating shredded cabbage, not a clump of vegetables in mayo. Here is the recipe for my grandmother's classic, refreshing, and perfect-for-a-picnic coleslaw.

What You'll Need

• 1 head of cabbage
• 1/4 cup of sugar (for drawing the water out of the cabbage)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh is best - about 1 lemon - or bottled will do)
• 3/4 cup mayo or Miracle Whip (light would do just fine!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Optional: 1 cup shredded carrots and 1/4 diced green pepper

What to Do

1. Shred the cabbage, either in a food processor or by hand, into a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle the cabbage with sugar, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. The longer it sits with the sugar, the better it tastes. 
3. Meanwhile, mix lemon juice and mayo. Add the salt and pepper. Mix together well. 
4. Add the carrots and peppers, if you so desire. (FYI, I don't add this. I like the straight-up cabbage.) 
5. Keep in the fridge until the cabbage is ready. 
6. After the 30 minutes sitting, drain the excess water from the cabbage. 
7. Mix the lemon juice-mayo with the drained, shredded cabbage. 
8. Stir well, and serve fresh! 

This dish makes a great side-salad at a picnic or with a nice hearty burger or sandwich. It's a great way to eat something like cabbage, which you may not normally like or use in cooking. And it's from my grandmother, so it's clearly a classic.

~Katie Kate