Shredded Salad

03/12 SHREDDED SALAD

"Come on! Join the party. Have a hearty... glass of rum" - Marlene Dietrich

A lesson once taught, is practiced for life. This salad reflects that philosophy, and should free you up to bring the fun. A shredded jumble of fridge staples, ingredients I always seem to have leftovers from. And by shredding it in this way means that there is no need to stand on ceremony when making or eating it.

To be completely honest, I made this one for freinds the weekend before I left for this overseas jaunt and reading it back triggers a small amount of longing - so I made it again. Not for home so much as having my friends within arms reach. In a way this is my glass reaching far out across the seas, salut. Indeed Marlene will keep us all in fine spirits no matter what horizon you see. Lift the veil, join my party I'll make sure you have a hearty glass of wine. 

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

1/2 Red Cabbage
4 Celery Sticks (large)
1 Avocado
3 Carrots (Large)
1 Tomatoes
100g Almonds (roughly chopped & roasted)
50g Raisins
50g Apricot Chutney
50ml Balsamic Vinegar
50ml Olive Oil
50g Raisins

What I did - 

It is a shredded salad so the recipe is simply just shredding all the ingredients, or as close to shredding as possible - good luck shredding a tomato. I always have one large mixing bowl to compile and toss the salad in so you can be a messy as you like and then come out the other side effortless.

I shred the cabbage with a big sharp knife to shave off spidery purple strands, it will take a few minutes to get the whole way through, but the finer they are the easier to eat - and a large chunk of raw cabbage can be a real downer. Slice the celery finely into green semi circles, no more than half a centimetre thick but the thinner then better. The Carrot is actually the only 'shredded' ingredient, and even thats lying because its peeled then splintered with a large grater. The tomato needs to be cut in half, then half again and then half again (see how your maths goes) before being diced into small pieces.

The reason for making sure they are all cut this way is because they are all hard vegetables when not cooked and when regimented into small uniform shards they combine, tone down loosing their raw edge. Now scoop out the avocado to adhere everything together. Give the whole bowl a turn with a large spoon so compute everything. Scatter the raisins and almonds through at this stage, holding a touch back for later.

Shake the chunky dressing - chutney, vinegar and oil - into submission in a jar and pour over. The salad should take a few turns before it all combines as a fractured technicolour jumble. Tip the whole salad into your most festive bowl and dust with the remaining almond crumbs.

This salad that demands company, if not to tackle its sheer size, but also you can't help feeling warm eating it.

JG