One of the first plants ready to harvest in my mom’s garden is Florence fennel bulbs. The mild licorice scent and flavor always reminds me of early summer and it’s one of my favorite summer vegetables, especially when paired with tart green apples and citrus. This bright summer slaw is based on those three flavors. While I use a blend of grapefruit and lemon juice, orange juice can be used instead. I use purple cabbage because of the increased flavonoids from the anthocyanins that give it that gorgeous color. I shred cabbage by cutting it thin, but run the rest of the veggies through the grating disc on my food processor. I use olive oil or avocado oil mayonnaise simply because the monounsaturated fatty acids in those two oils are more stable and less easily oxidized than polyunsaturated fatty acids with a high omega-6 to low omega-3 ratio (aka vegetable oils).

I have served this slaw with smoked pork spare ribs and with baked salmon.

1/2 head purple cabbage, cored, and shredded
4 carrots, peeled, & shredded
1 fennel bulb without fronds, shredded
1 green apple, cored and shredded
1 Ruby Red grapefruit, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 cups olive oil or avocado oil mayonnaise
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Combine all the shredded produce in a large bowl. Toss together until the vegetables and fruit are equally distributed. In a medium bowl, whisk together grapefruit juice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and fruit. Toss with tongs or two large spoons until the slaw is evenly coated with dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Stir or toss before serving to distribute any juices from the bottom of the bowl.