Feelin' Groovy: Psychedelic Slaw

Even though I was a mere child in the '60s, I do have some fond memories.

My white go-go boots.

Arguing with my uncle over who was better, the Beatles or the Monkees.

Babysitters who taught me to iron my hair.

And Peter Max. I loved the bright colors and playful designs of his Cosmic 60's period.
The big smile. The iconic Cosmic Star Runner - you know, the guy with the flowing yellow hair wearing bell bottoms and carrying a flower. The stars and planets.
The only way to describe such art was groovy, a new word for a completely new look. It was like waking up from the long black-and-white nap of the '50s to find the world had been given a fresh coat of brilliant color.

Where am I going with this?
Psychedelic Coleslaw, so named for the its mix of flamboyant colors. Pretty to look at and very fresh. So groovy you may experience a flashback.

Psychedelic Coleslaw, adapted from the Surreal Gourmet


1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsps. toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 Tbsps. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. honey

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or hot sauce (more or less, to taste)

2 Tbsps. sesame seeds, lightly toasted

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

1/3 head purple cabbage, cored and sliced into the thinnest ribbons possible and separated

1/3 head green cabbage, cored and sliced as above

1 yellow pepper, seeds and membranes removed, very thinly sliced

1 red pepper, as above

1/2 medium sweet onion, or 1 shallot, finely sliced and separated

2 Tbsps. peeled fresh ginger, finely grated or minced

1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Optional:
1/4 daikon (a large white Japanese radish), peeled and coarsely grated

In a small bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice, honey and cayenne. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except sesame seeds and toss well. Then toss with dressing. Just before serving, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Note: Do not prepare more than a couple of hours in advance because the purple of the cabbage could seep into the other ingredients.
 On the other hand, no one will really mind, they'll be so blown away by the flavor.