Warm Winter Slaw

This recipe came to me as one of those happy accidents.  During the middle of a catering job for 50 people, I popped what was meant to be a lightly cooked cabbage and squash slaw with flecks of both strewn throughout, into the oven.  A few guests arriving, a few mini-catering emergencies later and this dish morphed into something even better.  The cabbage had held together nicely, but the squash, much to my inner dismay, had become mush.  However, one taste in and I realized that the mush had become caramelized on the edges and combined with the tooth of the cabbage worked really well.  And onto the platter it went.  When I served it, I was able to move it from pan to platter without mixing the squash in all that much.  However, because the cabbage isn’t all that lovely without some of the orange squash showing through, I disturbed it a little once it was in the platter to have the color show though.

This recipe ran in the Portland Press Herald recently with a typo on the oven temp, so I post it here for those who had questions about it.

Winter Slaw
My girls will eat this dish as if it’s candy rather than squash and cabbage – the sugars of both caramelize and turn simple vegetables into something akin to an addictive confection.

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound peeled, seeded and grated butternut squash, about 4 cups or 1/2 of a medium-sized squash
1 1/2 pounds sliced green cabbage, about 4 cups or 1/2 head of cabbage
3/4 teaspoon salt (sprinkle half over squash and half over cabbage)
several grinds of black pepper
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.

Add the squash, sprinkle with half of the salt and sauté until heated through.  It will stick to the pan, but don’t worry, it will loosen up at the end.

Add the cabbage, sprinkle with the other half of the salt and all of the black pepper.  Break the butter into smaller pieces and dot the top of the cabbage.

Transfer to the oven and cook for 35 to 45 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked through, but still a little firm.  If you can, slide the whole mess out of the pan at once.  Slightly mix the squash into the cabbage and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Annie
Using up garden veggies