Riverhill Coleslaw

This is a recipe from Jo and Alan, former founders, farmers and owners of Riverhill Farm in Nevada City, California. They had such a profound impact on my farming career in so many ways. I think of them often with so much gratitude.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (optional)

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sugar or honey

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Slaw Ingredients:

• 1-2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks cut off and discarded but fronds reserved; halve fennel bulbs lengthwise, then cut out and discard cores, then thinly slice fennel, use a mandolin if you have one

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 small green cabbage

• 1/2 red cabbage, if you have one

• 4-5 shredded carrots

• 1/2 bunch of salad turnips julienned

• 1/2 bunch of red onion scallions (green onions), thinly sliced (use all the parts of the green onion)

Whisk together seeds and dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Toss fennel with lemon juice in a very large bowl. Finely chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1/4 cup and add to sliced fennel.

Quarter cabbage and cut out and discard core. Thinly slice cabbage crosswise and add to fennel along with carrots, salad turnips, green onion and dressing and toss well. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.