“Stop eating the Red Cabbage, Parsley and Nectarine Salad, I need to photograph it first!”
Luckily I managed to catch this shot before it all disappeared. 

My family and I munch our way through so many fruit and vegetables that it would make Peter Rabbit green with envy. 

I incorporate vegetables into EVERY lunch and dinner dish that I make because I am conscious of ensuring that my children ingest their daily dose of essential vitamins and minerals. A plate of sliced carrots, celery, cucumbers and capsicum left on the kitchen bench disappears within minutes as a healthy “snack on the run” for children. Of course it is easier to take a multivitamin, but so much more enjoyable and better for your overall health to make the most of the incredible variety of veggies available both in-store and via on-line food suppliers.

I have an entire fridge dedicated to storing these delicious and healthy food items.  Soon after the groceries are brought into the kitchen, this fridge ends up packed with an assortment of greens including broccoli, beans, and spinach,  rich orange and red root vegetables, fresh herbs, seasonal stone fruits, melons and berries, crisp salad leaves, celery and cucumbers, creamy avocados, cabbage varieties and cauliflower. 

I make a concerted effort to use all the fresh produce that I buy to avoid wastage and by the end of the week when there are only a few lonely items left on the shelves, I become somewhat creative in the home cooking department. The Red Cabbage, Parsley and Nectarine Salad I made to accompany the Beef and Vegetable Lasagne, was a perfect example of this. It took next to no time to prepare and result was so satisfying. It had a crisp texture, fresh, fruity flavour and wonderful colour. 

I think this would be an excellent salad to take on a picnic, because it is robust and a perfect partner to so many protein based foods, such as roasted chicken, barbecued prawns and fish. You could even eat it as a meal on its own, perhaps adding some Greek feta cheese for a dairy boost , along with either red or white quinoa which is high in iron and protein. I’m going to try this next time. A healthy and tasty way to kick off 2014. 

Red Cabbage, Parsley and Nectarine Salad  to serve 4 people (double the ingredients if making this for a larger group)

Ingredients
Half a red cabbage, washed and drained of water, then very finely sliced using either a mandolin, the fine setting on your food processor or a vegetable peeler. Watch your fingers! 

1 heaped cup of flat leaf parsley leaves roughly chopped.

2 – 3 yellow fleshed nectarines – remove the seed, leave the skin on and then slice the nectarine cheeks or halves into long 1 cm thin pieces.  

1 tablespoon vino cotto (or if you don’t have any handy use an aged balsamic vinegar instead).

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

ground sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a large salad bowl, gently toss together the cabbage, parsley and nectarines. 

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake until combined. Drizzle over the salad. Serve immediately. 

If you are taking this on a picnic, pop the dressing into a clean jar with a secure lid and add just before you are due to eat. This way, the salad will stay crisp.