Oh No! Where’s The Vinegar?: Summertime Fresh Cabbage Slaw

Summer in the South is full of picnics, backyard barbecues, and neighborhood block parties, all breaming with some of the most delicious potluck dishes. As children, we are taught to bring our best dish to these parties. On one such occasion I was tapped with bringing the Cabbage Slaw. Now, I love making Cabbage Slaw. I love cooking with all summertime vegetables, but cabbage happens to be one of my favorites.
The night before the party, I gathered all my ingredients on the counter. My loving husband sat on a chair in the kitchen, and we discussed our work days as I began to grate the cabbage. I moved on to my onion and in mid-grate, I turned to him in a panic, “I don’t have apple cider vinegar! You can’t make good slaw without vinegar.” In his calming manner, he assured me that it would be ok. We could get back out and go to our 24 hour mega-mart or we could just use something else.
Panicked, I began to look through our cabinets for some substitute because no one wants to go out at 11pm for apple cider vinegar. In a moment of desperation, I spotted a jar of dill pickles in the refrigerator door. At first I was unsure of using pickle juice in place of vinegar; I mean, who puts pickle juice in cabbage slaw? But the more I thought about pickle juice, the more I began to like the idea. I made the dressing for the slaw and slowly added pickle juice until it had the right amount of kick. The result of my panic and my husband’s cool head turned out to be one of the best cabbage slaws I have ever made.
I hope you enjoy this slaw with your family, and don’t be afraid to put your own spin on a classic recipe.

Cabbage Slaw
2 lb. head of cabbage, grated
1 large onion, grated

Dressing:
1 ½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup dill pickle juice
¼ cup sugar
2 sprigs fresh dill
½ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Grate cabbage and onion in to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Once dressing is combined, pour dressing over cabbage and onions and mix until combined. Let sit in refrigerator for at least two hours. For the best flavor, allow it to sit overnight.
By: Anna Hamilton