Harvey House Coleslaw

For Fred Harvey, a traveling salesman in the mid 1800s, the main mode of travel was by train. Disheartened by the lack of good food along his journeys, he approached the Santa Fé Railroad management and developed the first chain restaurant, Harvey House. The food was fresh, made by chefs and served white-tablecloth style. This is one of the staple menu items from the start and has been a favorite to re-create in home kitchens since. Aunt Jo, my dad’s sister, would always bring this to a family gathering. I have wonderful non-food memories of her too, picking me up as a young 6-year-old, then living in the Kenmore, New York, in her black VW bug with the roof rolled back, our hair blowing as we tooled around the neighborhood. What a thrill that was! This is my version of her Harvey House slaw. Use a processor or old-fashioned shredding board for fresh veggies, although pre-shredded ones work well in a pinch.

Ingredients for 12 S

1 small head of green cabbage, shredded

2 medium carrots, grated

1½ bell pepper, shredded, any color or combination

½ small head of radicchio, shredded

2 small sweet onions cut in half and thinly sliced (don’t shred, as the juice will overwhelm the taste)

1 cup sugar

Preparation

In a large bowl make 4 layers of cabbage, peppers, onions, radicchio and carrots, sprinkling each with sugar.

Dressing

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup white vinegar

¾ cup vegetable oil (olive oil doesn’t work here)

Preparation

Combine well in a saucepan, bring to a boil and pour over cabbage mixture. Pour hot dressing over and refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is better), mixing several times to allow ingredients to marinate. Serve chilled.