Cranberry-walnut slaw is treat during leisurely meal

Marion Cunningham, renowned cookbook author and recipient of a James Beard lifetime achievement award, talks fondly of the good times that naturally occur when friends and food, cooking and eating, come together.

She's an advocate of sharing recipes and leisurely, sociable meals, as opposed to today's all-too-common "gobble and go" mealtime habits. In this good cause, she's chosen 10 of her recipes using walnuts to be featured in a free illustrated brochure (details follow).

Among the recipes is this colorful cranberry-walnut slaw. Cunningham says she got the recipe several years ago from a friend, "and now I enjoy it every Thanksgiving. I've passed the recipe along to friends who say it's great to bring to summer picnics, too."

The two-cabbage slaw, unlike mayonnaise-based dressings, has a cider vinaigrette dressing that makes it crisp and light. Dried cranberries and sugar give sweet flavor, and walnuts add crunchy texture and a nutrition bonus.

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CRANBERRY AND WALNUT COLESLAW

For the Dressing:

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon celery seed

For the Coleslaw:

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

2 cups red cabbage, finely sliced

2 cups green cabbage, finely sliced

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Mix the dressing ingredients together.

Put the coleslaw ingredients into a bowl and toss with the dressing. Cover and let refrigerate about 3 hours before serving. Stir and drain off all liquid before serving.

Note: The slaw keeps for about 5 days, covered and refrigerated. It is very good with roast chicken and cornbread. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 366.3 cal., 4 g pro., 35.1 g carbo., 3.7 g fiber, 25.4 g total fat (2.1g saturated), 0 mg chol., 9.9 mg sodium. Recipe courtesy Marion Cunningham for the Walnut Marketing Board.

The brochure, "Marion Cunningham's Walnut Recipes For Quality Time," is available free by phone from (800) 758-2100; or by writing to the Walnut Marketing Board: Marion Cunningham Recipes, 847 Sansome Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94111; or on the Web at: www.walnuts.org