Asian Wasabi Slaw

I love our Full Circle Farms veggie and fruit box for so many reasons.  The two most important, however, are that it provides us with foods throughout the sub-arctic Alaskan year that we would never get otherwise, and it sends us things that we would not otherwise purchase but are consequently forced to get creative with.  The latter brings us to this incredibly delicious and impossible-to-stop-eating slaw that we made with a cabbage that was sent to us courtesy of Full Circle Farms (in a box whose date I am too embarrassed to share).

I am a glutton for most coleslaw; they are a very random and infrequent guilty pleasure of mine.  Who ever thinks to make coleslaw unless immediately heading to a football party on a quintessential New England fall afternoon with the bright red leaves falling at the absolutely perfect awe-inducing rate, the fifty degree weather shifting by five degrees at perfectly timed intervals throughout the afternoon, and where the home team wins the big game?  I certainly don't.  But then we had the cabbage.  It has been staring at us every time we open the refrigerator door for a time (that I will not share).

For reasons that are certainly not related to football or New England, I thought of making slaw today.  Maybe it was the weather.  We have finally reached the high fifties--and even crept into the sixties today--but the morning was cold.  It must have been the temperature fluctuation that led me to craving coleslaw.  (That makes no sense, I realize that.)

Anyhow, it was incredible!  We both ate out of the bowl before dinner because we couldn't resist, had some with dinner, then ate more out of the bowl after dinner.  I foresee a race to the fridge tomorrow as we pack our lunches.

Why was it so good?  Crunchy cabbage, sesame oil, rice vinegar, a touch of sugar, wasabi, a hint of green onions, ramen noodles, and toasted almonds all meld together to create something that is damn near out-of-this-world.  I will be thinking about making coleslaw an awful lot more often.

Bring it to your summer cookout (it is days away from being gartyque time!), to share with coworkers, to your kids' end of year potluck, or of course to football tailgates in the fall.  It is unique (but not weird) and addicting--and relatively guilt free!

This is certainly a new favorite of mine, and I hope it becomes one of yours too.

Asain Wasabi Slaw:
Created by yours truly

• 1/2 head of green cabbage (it would be much prettier to use 1/4 green and 1/4 red cabbage, but Full Circle Farms didn't send us both)
• 3 large green onions chopped (mostly the white part, up to the green part)
• 1/4ish cup roasted slivered almonds
• 1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles
• 5ish tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2ish tablespoons of wasabi paste
• ground pepper to taste 

1. Make the dressing: 
1. Combine the rice vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar, wasabi paste, and pepper.  
2. Mix well.  
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
2. Make the salad:  
1. Finely chop the cabbage into little strips and place in medium mixing bowl.
2. Chop the green onions.  Add to cabbage.
3. Add the roasted almonds.
4. Crunch the ramen noodles into very small pieces (but not to smitereens).
5. Add about 1/2 of the seasoning packet from the noodles.
6. Pour in just enough dressing to coat.
7. Mix well.