Vietnamese Cabbage Salad

'Tis the season for sweaters, scarves, merriment and cabbage. Yes, cabbage. The rotund, boring relative of the cruciferous family. Snubbed by children and adults alike and often found banished at the end of the dinner buffet with the other side dishes. Always a bridesmaid never a bride. Well today is your time to shine, cabbage. Time to take center stage dressed in lime, ginger, garlic and fresh herbs. Welcome to flavor country! If you, dear readers, like a good kick in the taste buds, you will love this. I made this after my cousin, Margaret, took me to Number One Pho in Cleveland last October. The place is fantastic. We both went nuts for their cabbage salad so I promised her I would duplicate it in my kitchen so she could make it at home. Enjoy!

Vietnamese Cabbage Salad
Makes 2 servings

Salad
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded purple cabbage or additional green cabbage
1/4 cup sliced chives or scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon palm sugar or agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons crushed wild jungle peanuts* or roasted peanuts

Step 1 Combine salad ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Step 2 Whisk all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over salad. Toss well and garnish with crushed peanuts.

*Wild jungle peanuts are raw peanuts from the Amazon jungle that do not contain Aflatoxin, a carcinogenic toxin produced by fungus found in common peanuts. You can find them at some health food stores and online.