So here I am, writing about food in a world that has gone completely mad. Has it ever been this bad? Seriously, I’m 36 years-old and I don’t remember the world ever being like this. I wish I was able to write about my baller staycation that I’m currently enjoying (thanks be to the privilege of having a job, a good one at that). I’d like to talk about what it’s like to be able to be a working mom and actually be home for a month (it’s exhausting and wonderful and confirms the fact that I am not made for staying-at-home mom-ing). Or, I’d like to be able to talk about my recent obsession with the shows, UnReal and The Good Wife (I am using some of my staycation time to do what I used to do when I was single and in my 20s . . . lay on the couch while eating chips and cheese dip and watching TV for HOURS ON END . . . or until I have to go pick up the girls form camp/gan). But I can’t.
I’m confused on what to do about the deaths of Hallel Yaffa Ariel, Alton Sterling, Philandro Castile. I’m honestly so sick of reading article after article on Facebook from well-meaning friends who seem to be playing to the same crowd. I don’t want to be an arm-chair/Facebook-activist. I want to do something. I want to make sure I’m about something other than delicious food. I don’t want to forget that I’m a Social Worker and Community Organizer by training. I’m also a Jew who is in need of a global-community to give a sh*t about dying Jewish teenagers and the rise of anti-Semitism and I want to make sure I model the same support that I’m asking for. But how do I do this? I truly want to know? How do I do this with two little kids from Encino, California?
In the meantime, while I ponder these questions and look for outlets, I found this really great site called, “Campaign Zero“. It has an amazing team behind it and seems to be running on real grassroots community organizing. It’s inspiring. I wonder if they’re looking for Jewish lady community organizers living in The Valley!?
So I made a sandwich. I made a really, really good sandwich. I roasted some beets and made some tangy cole slaw while I toasted some rye bread (and put a little slab of butter on those little slices of bread before putting them in the oven). The result was so frikkin’ good that though I had no plans to turn it into a post, I ended up making it a second time so that I could post it (but also because my husband begged me to make it again, he liked it that much. He actually like it so much that he high-fived me after finishing it). This sandwich would be a great little build-it for a Shabbat lunch or picnic or a Tuesday.
Ingredients
- 3 large beets
- 1 cup of shredded cabbage
- 1/4 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 Tsp celery salt
- 1/4 Tsp garlic powder
- Bread and butter pickles
- Swiss cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Sliced rye
Instructions
- For the beets - preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash beets well. Wrap individually in foil and put them on cookie sheet or roasting pan. Cook, undisturbed, for at least 45 minutes or until a thin-bladed knife pierces one with little resistance.
- Once beets are done, let cool and make the cole slaw but leave the oven on low for toasting of the rye bread. Once cooled, slice thinly and set aside.
- For bread - places a few dots of butter on the top of sliced bread. Place the bread on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. Let cool.
- For Slaw - place the shredded cabbage in a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients listed above from cabbage up until the pickles (DO NOT ADD IN THE PICKLES). Stir until they are well-combined.
- For assembly: Once bread has cooled a bit, spread mayonnaise onto one side of the bread and top with a couple spoonfuls of cole slaw. On the other side, add two slices of Swiss cheese and top with pickles. Add the the sliced beets. Put the whole thing together and enjoy!
