Blackfish Cafe's Coleslaw

I recently spent three wonderful days on the Oregon Coast in a quaint little town called Manzanita.  Our family friend Connie loaned us her cozy beach house and supplied us with the ingredients to one of the best coleslaw recipes.  Ever.  I love Connie for many reasons, and now I have one more to add to the list.

The recipe was clipped from The Sunday Oregonian and hails from the popular coastal restaurant Blackfish Cafe in Lincoln City, Oregon. 

If you haven't experimented with Napa cabbage, now is the time.  It's crunchy, light, and much milder in flavor than its cabbage relatives.  What makes this salad for me is the cilantro, ginger, and sesame oil.  Plus, the radishes and toasted almonds make it really pleasing to the eye.  Bottom line: a mouthful of happiness.

If you would like to make this dish lighter, use half mayonnaise and half plain or Greek yogurt (and experiment with adding a little dressing at a time).

Blackfish Cafe's Famous Coleslaw
Makes 8-10 servings

Dressing
3T granulated sugar
3T white wine vinegar
1T soy sauce
1/2 t grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 t sesame oil and/or a pinch of cayenne pepper
1c mayonnaise

Salad
6c shredded Napa cabbage (1 medium to large head)
1c thinly sliced radishes
1c thinly sliced green onions, white and some green parts
4-6 oz. snow pea pods, julienned
1c fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2c slivered almonds, toasted

To make dressing:  In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in the vinegar.  Stir in the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil and/or cayenne.  Gradually stir the vinegar mix into the mayonnaise until blended.  Cover and chill, preferably overnight.  Makes approximately 1 1/4 cups.

To make salad:  In a bowl, toss together the cabbage, radishes, onions, pea pods, cilantro, and almonds.  Toss with half the dressing and taste, adding more dressing as desired.  Serve immediately, or cabbage will wilt and lose its crispness and texture.