You know how there's often a recipe that's the most widely held secret in the world? It's sort of like the pine-apple cheese casserole that everybody in the Midwest knows. But everyone thinks they're the only one to have it.

It's the same with what I call picnic slaw. It contains no mayo, you see, and so is safe for picnics and cookouts. Or safer, anyway.

Well, I just got the recipe for it. As often happens it followed a circuitous route getting to me. It went from the original poster, to a friend of a friend, to my friend, to me. I will repeat the whole story, because the stories behind heirloom recipes are as much fun as the stories behind heirloom veggies:

The Coach House Coleslaw from Greenville KY

I live in Muhlenberg County. The coleslaw recipe you are looking for was orgiinally served in a restaurant in Greenville called The Coach House. My mother-in-law gave me the following recipe over forty years ago. At that time everyone was making it and thought they had "stolen" the restaurant's secret recipe.

1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 green pepper, shredded

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp celery seed.

Bring to a boil, let cool, pour over medium head shredded cabbage, carrots, and green pepper.

Obviously what's meant is to bring the last six ingredients to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves. Then let cool and pour over the veggies.

Thanks for sharing this and I like the fact it has no mayo! I am going to be giving this one a try! I bet it is good.

By the way speaking of heirloom veggies I am awe-struck by these heirloom tomatoes!!!
The deep maroon colored Brandywines are so tasty & juicy and in eating them I get the flavor of tomatoes I remember from way back in my childhood days. Never have had a store bought tomato even come close in flavor or texture!

Cathy WHY is it every thread I read you have posted in you mention your tomatoes? Grrr...
Thanks for sharing the recipe Brook. My father in law and I are the only two who like coleslaw and I look forward to trying this.

Its funny him and his other sons in laws always go on about the slaw at holiday dinners. Last time I said people please..the dressing is from a Marzetti's from a jar.

Well you blew it, Janie. That Marzetti's dressing could have been your family secret, shared with nobody.

I was really glad to finally get the recipe for the Picnic Slaw. Friend Wife and I first had it more than a dozen years ago, at a small cafe in western Kentucky, and have been trying to replicate it ever since. Although the cafe owner gave us the ingredients, there were no proportions as he just mixed it as he went along. This recipe is dead-on.

He also is the one who provided the picnic slaw name and reason for it, although on the menu it was just called cole slaw.

If I actually make something then I love compliments.
I wont take them on something from a jar.
Someone complimented a cake they were having at a family reunion once I brought. I told them to forward their compliments to Sara Lee.