Slaw

Sweet and crunchy jicama and smoky grill-roasted peppers and green onions combine in this attractive side dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"While driving along the California coast, we stopped at River's End, in Jenner," say Susan and Malcolm Duncan of Waco, Texas. "The fennel slaw was addictive, and we're not even fennel people. Do you think you could get the recipe?"

Cabbage has been a staple vegetable in New England since the colonists sowed the first seeds. In the beginning, English settlers boiled it, just as they had back home. Eventually, other immigrants introduced creative new ways to prepare it. Coleslaw, for example, was brought over by the Dutch. This is our version, with the colorful addition of beets, another popular ingredient in this part of the world.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This hot and tangy Thai version of coleslaw is one of those dishes that I don't know if they really serve in Thailand but it certainly seems they should. I like it more than traditional coleslaw, and it seems to better suit our modern-day taste for lighter dishes and for the forthright flavors of Asian ingredients. I serve this salad with grilled meats — it's especially great with spare ribs.

This recipe was given to Willinger by the late Torquato Innocenti, the local farmer whom Willinger considered her muse. Whenever she bought vegetables from his stand, he would give her terrific ideas for how to use them. Willinger wanted to honor his recipe-sharing tradition by passing this delicious slaw along to our readers.