21 Jun Kohlrabi slaw for a Midsummer night’s meal

Slaws slaws slaws

As a Pole, I feel somewhat of an expert in slaws. On average, I make them twice weekly. This kohlrabi slaw is light and slightly sweet with a refreshing tang from the salty kefir dressing. Perfect for sticking on top of blackened potatoes from the outdoor fire. I know we shouldn’t eat burnt things, but this is Midsummer, a night when anything can happen according to old Slavic lore, so I will allow myself the naughty pleasure of demolishing a black potato with plenty of butter and salt. My kids don’t actually like the black bits, but for me, it’s a delicacy that brings back memories of past fires and precious times.

A Slavic Midsummer

The traditional Slavic Midsummer is called Noc Kupały in Polish. This is the night when girls would make wreaths during the day and throw them into a river at dusk in order to tell fortunes of future loves. Before Christianity, all kinds of things crazy things were expected to happen on this night, from fire jumping to magic rituals. It was a celebration of fertility, so love was free. This is the night you could find the wish-granting fern flower in the woods after all.

A modern Midsummer

As soon as the girls realised it was Midsummer, they decided to be fairies. We put a blanket out in the garden and prepared a wreath-making station. The plants in our garden are different to your average Polish meadow, so there was a bit of trial and error involved, but the point is the process and not the outcome. In the evening, we had a fire and while there was no fire jumping there was this slaw with black potatoes and sausages on sticks.

A recipe for Kohlrabi slaw

I always feel slightly silly providing a recipe for a slaw, because, you know, it’s a slaw. There a million of them and they are all equally straightforward. Nevertheless, this is a delicious way to eat a kohlrabi.