This is one of those simple salads that tastes better the next day after everything has a chance to get acquainted – but it’s pretty good the first day too!
It feels like spring.
Most of my snow has melted (for now), the frost is leaving the ground, and mud is everywhere. The neighbor’s chickens invade my yard each day scratching up my leaf mulch looking for little spring bug treats. We leave the winter coats behind while we walk the dog. When I inhale, I smell earth, and all is good.
Lily is looking for early spring treats on the wood pile; she was successful.
I harbor no illusion that we are there. The fickle weather could dump a foot of snow any time in the month of March, and often April as well. So we try to be patient, and rejoice in the first of the delicious maple syrup offer by the sugar makers!
It is the Season of Deception.
So we’ll cook and feed each other.
This dish is not quite a slaw, I put this salad together the other day after I had shopped my winter farmer’s market. I realized I had lots of good root vegetables that would be perfect raw and shredded. I also had some tender and delicious pea shoots they grew at the farm, so I started shredding and chopping.
Not quite a slaw
I could have also added some cabbage, especially since this turned out looking a lot like a slaw. But I didn’t, at least this time. The next time I make it, I might add cabbage or swap out the vegetables for whatever else I find.
The vinegar and oil dressing is much lighter than a mayonnaise-based dressing. The addition of a little toasted sesame oil added a nice flavor and interest. I also included some tart, unsweetened, dried cherries which added a really delicious little treat.
Use what is available
I added broccoli stems to this because I had them in the refrigerator and they were tasty! If you don’t have them, leave them out, or use something else.
This is quick and easy to make, and holds in the refrigerator for five days. You can eat this as a simple side dish, or put it atop a bed of greens and call it lunch!
Not quite the ease of spring and summer salads, but refreshing and delicious as we wait out the mud.
Almost Spring Salad
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. maple syrup, circa 2020
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small head celeriac, shredded
- 1 large carrot or parsnip, shredded
- 1 purple Daikon radish, shredded
- 1 or 2 broccoli stalks, shredded
- 1 purple onion, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup or so pea shoots, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
- 1/4 tsp. poppy seeds to garnish
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oils, and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Prep the vegetables. shred the celeriac, parsnips, radish, and broccoli stalks and add these to a large bowl.
Slice the onions and chop the pea shoots and put them in the bowl as well, along with the caraway seeds.
Drizzle with the dressing and mix well. Plate and sprinkle with the poppy seeds.
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Member of Slow Food
LOL. I love “Vermont’s 11 Seasons”!
It is pretty much on the mark!
Close enough. Well Done! 🌿🌱🍃
Thanks Gail!
Beautiful! Your food has heart and spirit which are both perfect for feeding the soul! AmericaOnCoffee
What a lovely thing to say! Thank you!
I love chickens, Dorothy. I grew up with them in our backyard. Such personable little creatures!
By the way: In Australia we call them ‘chooks’… 🙂
Unfortunately, celeriac, as I found out recently, is not in season until about July/August in Australia. However, I will keep this, and another recipe of yours, on hold until then. This recipe also sounds just up my alley!
The season is the same here, but they store so beautifully. Here on the brink of spring, they are still nice and crisp! I’d never heard ‘chooks’ before! What a delightful word!
I love these salads made with whatever we have at home! 😉
They always seem to come out delicious!
I love this Season of Deception description. Well said!
We enjoy it, but don’t trust it!
I don’t like heavy mayo based coleslaw, and your recipe with all those beautiful shredded fresh vegetables with a touch of maple syrup for sweetness sounds perfect…I especially loved your Vermont seasonal phases…Winter in the South is always like a seesaw, some days can be 70, then overnight it will plunge to freezing…we even have had major snow events in March! Spring is coming!
Jenna
Thanks Jenna! We all have spring fever right about now! I found some little tulip sprouts yesterday, but couldn’t help but wonder if they would be buried under snow in another week!
This sounds SO good!
Thanks Angela, we enjoyed it a lot!
I liked that idea of “Use what is available”. The salad looks refreshing and colorful. Thank you for sharing ! 😊
You are very welcome!
Almost Spring Salad looks yummy. Going to try it this week. I love your site. So full of color, which is something I look forward to as spring unfolds.
Thanks Pat! I love to cook with as much color as possible. The vibrancy wakes up the senses, and often in vegetables the deeper the color, the more nutritious!