*nelida*

The red radish seed sneaks across the US border breathing Wa-hah-kan busses. Three days of sneaking. Guns. Dogs. Desert. Grown by two acres of latinos next to my garden, Nelida gives her saved seed... As she tore the plant out of the ground and shoved it into my trunk, I savored saving seed for the first time. Last winter, we de-shelled each of Nelida’s radish seed by hand and planted them in the spring. We ate radishes this year and behind me is next year’s Wa-hah-kan radish seed crop; it is heirloom, organic, open pollinated, and spicy. Now the seed waits to be gathered in, stored deep in the barn. How does plant life correlate to death? Embedded in the dying breath is next years life. The frozen death in Narnia becomes a thawed dance in Aslan’s sovereign paw, deeper magic from before the dawn of time.

what to do with our purple cabbage next year

This excellent side dish salad is full of wonderfully crisp cabbage (& vegetables). The ramen soup mix is the perfect flavoring.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 head cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 cup snow peas
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 (3 oz.) pkg. Ramen noodles
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Place sesame seeds and almonds on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high until lightly toasted and you can smell them toasting, about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently during cooking. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, peppers, snow peas, and green onions. Crush ramen noodles and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine oil, water (to taste), vinegar, sugar, and 1 seasoning packet. Discard remaining seasoning packet. Beat dressing with wire whisk until combined. Just before serving, toss crushed noodles, toasted almonds and sesame seeds with cabbage mixture. Pour dressing over salad and toss well. 10-12 servings