Savoy cabbage and apple spiced sweet slaw

Can I just say I love my mandoline? With a dearth of kitchen utensils, it's easy to convince yourself you don't need another one, so I put off picking one up for a long time. But now that I have it, I can't believe I ever lived without a mandoline. It slices right through the bulkiest of vegetables, and even makes matchsticks and french fry shapes. I swear it took me 3 minutes to obliterate an entire head of cabbage into the perfect size for slaw. I'm truly in love!

As the weather gets warmer, I'm really getting into making fresh salads with my own dressings. I've made a ton that I haven't had a chance to post here yet. It's just so darn exciting trying to mix and match flavors, textures, and the cornucopia of plants available for us to eat. Cabbage and apple sounded like a perfect pairing to me, and a beautiful savoy cabbage along with a few nice tart apples to become my first summer slaw.

Believe it or not, when I'm working my kitchen magic, I sort of let the ingredients perk up on the shelves and call out to me, as if they can't wait to join the party of flavors. I must say I ended up with quite a mish-mash of elements in this slaw's dressing, but they really worked, and the flavors weren't overpowering at all. I really wanted something light and sweet, yet creamy and tart. And maybe most importantly, I didn't want anything to overpower the apple; as flavorful as apples can be on their own, when combining them with other foods they can become quite delicate.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think of what I came up with! I'm not sure I've ever tasted anything quite like it. There's something light and summery about it that I love. It also has a bit of a spiced and sweet flavor, which is unique for slaw, so expect something a bit different!

Savoy cabbage and apple spiced sweet slaw

1 head savoy cabbage (don't confuse it with it's non-crinkly brothers!)
2 medium-sized tart apples (green, or most red varieties besides red delicious)
1 half large yellow or white onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp cane sugar
smoked paprika
black pepper
coriander
cardamom
cinnamon
thyme
rosemary

Grate cabbage into slaw. Cut apple into matchsticks. Slice onion thinly. Toss.

In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, sugar, and spices. Mix and adjust amounts to taste. (Sorry I can't be more specific! Start with a dash of each spice and go from there. Make something that tastes great to you.)

Fold dressing into chopped veg. If you have time, chill, and allow flavors to settle.