Cabbage Salad with Sliced Chinese Snap Peas and Chopped Celery Leaves

This is a very refreshing, fresh salad – cabbage salad, in all its variations, has been very popular in our house through the years; it is great as an accompaniment to any meal, and is wonderful to bring along on picnics. It can be made several hours in advance, so there is no last-minute rush. It even improves as the cabbage absorbs the dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1 white (green) cabbage
• delicate Chinese snap peas in the pod
• celery leaves (use the inside “new” leaves which are light in color, delicate, and crisp).
• salt
• pepper
• pinch of sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
• white vinegar
• lemon juice
• canola oil (just a little bit – 1 or 2 Tablespoons – is necessary)

Preparation:

1. For easy cutting, after washing cabbage and removing any loose outer leaves, cut cabbage into quarters. Remove the core. Slice each quarter cabbage into thin slices.
2. Wash and remove ends and connecting “thread” from Chinese snap pea pods. Slice lengthwise into thin strips.
3. Put sliced cabbage and sliced pea-pods into large bowl or box.
4. Sprinkle sugar over the cabbage and pea-pods
5. In microwavable glass, put some vinegar mixed with some canola oil and prepared mustard. Heat just till boiling (take care not to allow it to boil over the glass…).
6. Quickly pour over the cabbage and pea-pods, and mix well.
7. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add chopped fresh celery leaves (the young fresh leaves from inside the celery stalk).
9. Allow to stand for a few minutes, and then adjust seasonings; you may need to add more vinegar, or lemon, or salt. Mix well.
10. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
11. Taste again before serving and if necessary add more lemon, vinegar or salt.