Garden veggie slaw and potluck hosting

So, as I mentioned last week, we hosted our vegetarian potluck group on Friday night.  With the apartment looking the best it ever has, I set out to make our contribution to the meal.

I discovered that potluck style meals are awesome to host, because instead of going crazy trying to make (and clean up after) multiple dishes/courses, there’s just the one dish you’re responsible for making.

A couple of weeks ago, I made some kohlrabi-turnip slaw based on this recipe.  So, while I wasn’t strictly working from a recipe when I made my dish for the potluck, this was floating around in my head.

We also planned to make a second, simple dish of sliced garden tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic, but the cooler weather we’ve had (yay!) means slow-ripening tomatoes.  Good thing we didn’t put all our eggs in that basket!

Once I finished the slaw, I completed some final kitchen clean-up, then set out cloth napkins and real (i.e., non-disposable) plates, cups, and utensils (very thankful for the dishwasher post-party).

Fifteen of our friends joined us, bringing their own lovely, local-food themed offerings, for a fun evening of dining and chatting.

I received several requests for the slaw recipe, so, without further ado, my garden veggie slaw.

GARDEN VEGGIE SLAW

Recipe by Melissa
Serves 12-15

Ingredients
Dressing
3 T peanut butter
2 T miso paste
1 t sweet mirin rice wine
2 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 t lime juice
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T peanut oil
3 T sugar
6 cloves garlic, minced
Cilantro*
———–
Veggies**
3 c purple cabbage, shredded or cut very finely
1 large kohlrabi, shredded
3  hakurei turnips, shredded
1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 c toasted sunflower seeds

Directions
Combine all dressing ingredients to make a rich, thick dressing.

Prep your veggies.  I cut the cabbage by hand and used a box grated for the kohlrabi and turnips.

In a large bowl, toss shredded vegetables with the dressing.  Let sit for at least two hours for flavors to meld.

Serve topped with toasted sunflower seeds.

*I didn’t have fresh cilantro, so I used some cilantro “pesto” that I made and froze earlier in the summer.  It was a minor flavor note, so could be omitted.
**You can mix and match the veggies here, depending on what you have available.  Green cabbage would certainly work, while the purple adds a nice color pop.  Shredded carrots would also work nicely.