Lettuce Slaw

Years ago, Roy Rogers, now defunct, was a popular fast food franchise. I remember it only for the coleslaw it served with its barbecue sandwiches. The slaw was different than most, because it was made with chopped lettuce, rather than cabbage, and it was less acidic than that served by other fast food chains. I can't tell you that tonight's feature is a "copykat" recipe. I've never been able to find a version of the original on the internet, so I've had to create my own from taste memory and lots of trial and error. I keep this slaw at a bare bones level and use only lettuce and cabbage in its construction. If you are so inclined, chopped carrots or sweet peppers could also be added to the mix, and if you like a wet slaw you might want to double the dressing ingredients included with the recipe below.  Because the slaw is lettuce based, it will brown if it sits for too long a time before serving. I generally mix and chill the slaw about 2 hours before it will be needed. That gives the flavors time to meld, but the lettuce will retain its color and remain crisp. This nice slaw is similar to the one that was served at the Roy Rogers restaurant chains. Here is how my version of their old standby is made.


Iceberg and Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons grated sweet onion
1 to 2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon coarse garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large head iceberg lettuce coarsely chopped
1/2 small head green cabbage coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, honey and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Whisk in oil. Stir in grated onion, celery seed and salt and pepper.
2) Add lettuce and cabbage to dressing and toss to coat well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Chill in a large bowl for up to 2 hours. Yield: 12 servings.