Seasonal Ontario Food

This is a wintery version of cole-slaw, with lots of root vegetables, but the beets make the colour a pretty spring-like pink. The flavours are light and lively too, and help support that feeling that spring may come one of these days. Well, it is supposed to get up above freezing by the end of the week. W00t!

4 servings
45 minutes - 15 minutes prep time (plus 1 hour to cook the beet)

Salad:
1 medium beet

1 cup grated raw rutabaga
1 medium carrot
1 cup finely shredded green cabbage

Put the beet in a small saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil until tender; about 40 minutes. Let it cool. This can be done in advance.

Peel and grate the rutabaga and carrot, and shred the cabbage. Mix them in a bowl and toss them in the dressing. Peel and grate the beet, and gently mix it in. Let the salad sit in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving it to allow the flavours to blend.

Dressing:
1 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
1/4 teaspoon celery seed, ground
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, ground
1/4 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
1/4 cup buttermilk
the juice of 1 small lime

Grind the spices and mix them with the mayonnaise. Mix the buttermilk in slowly to avoid lumps. Mix in the lime juice.