By Paula Dream (AKA Kale Haygood)

Holiday greetings to everyone. Wow, what a year this has been! And where did the time go? Here we are into the holidays already. Hopefully you have stayed well and Covid will soon be on its way out. 

Even though our traditional gatherings may be hampered a bit, maybe a smaller intimate gathering will be in your future. There’s always the question: “What can I bring to the table?” I’m giving you three recipes that are simple and you probably won’t have to worry that someone else will be bringing the same thing.

Enjoy your holidays the best that you can.

 FARM COLE SLAW
4 cups cabbage, shredded
1 large apple, chopped
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup purple onion, chopped
1/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and toss to make sure shredded cabbage is well coated with wet ingredients. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

APPLE WALNUT SLAW
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 to 5 tablespoons sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
¼ to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 cups cabbage, shredded
1-1/2 cups carrots, shredded
1/3 cup purple onion, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 cups raisins
2 medium apples, chopped

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients to make the dressing. In a larger bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Add dressing and mix to coat all ingredients. Chill before serving.  

APPLE-OATMEAL SHORTBREAD BARS
Cookie base:
1 bag (17 ounces) sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter
Filling:
5 cups Granny Smith apples (usually 5 or 6, peeled and chopped)
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13″x9″ dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix cookie base ingredients, using a fork until well combined. Press into the bottom of the dish. In a medium-size bowl, toss filling ingredients. Spread over the base, evenly. In a medium-size bowl, mix brown sugar, oats, flour, and salt. Cut in cold butter, using a fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle overfilling. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. Allow cooling completely before cutting into bars.

Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based, home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.