This year seems to be the year of the heirloom cabbage. I have seen more sizes and shapes of cabbage this year than I can count. The super-pointy ones are my new favorite — they look quite fun in the garden, and they are so easy to slice or chop! They lie still and give you a nice place to hold onto while you are slicing, unlike the big old round ones we all grew up with.

A quick word about the horseradish — this year a local horseradish business called Hot 2 Trot has hit the scene and I think it is a truly wonderful product. I even grow my own horseradish and after tasting this sauce I’m not going to bother with that crop anymore! You can find their sauce and the root itself (if you want to prepare your own) around town — outlets are posted at Hot2TrotHorseradish.com. I used the sauce in making the dressing for the coleslaw, but following the recipe I provide directions for homemade dressing if you want to make it from scratch.

This version is close to the one I grew up with, replacing caraway seed for the celery seed that my mother always used. You can make it as sweet or spicy as you like. I tried for a nice balance of the sweet/hot in this version.

• In a medium mixing bowl, mix everything except the cabbages until blended. Pour over the mixed cabbages in a large bowl and toss to coat. Dressing can be made a day or more in advance. Once the cabbage is dressed, serve immediately for the crunchiest texture.
• To make horseradish dressing from scratch: Combine 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (or to taste) with ¾ cup mayonnaise with the remaining dressing ingredients. Taste and add more sugar and/or vinegar if desired.