shredded rainbow salad

This month's issue of Everyday Food magazine features a Jamie Oliver recipe. I first got into Jamie Oliver 12 years ago with Nuno when Naked Chef aired on TVO in the wee morning hours after our Saturday night out at the bars. The Brit-pop, the scooter, his general cuteness! The Naked Chef was probably the catalyst for me to even get into the kitchen and actually consider it fun and not a chore. I'm pretty sure the first recipe I ever cooked from was from Jamie Oliver. This month Jamie shared a recipe for a Shredded Rainbow Salad. A collection of simple and healthy produce creating a gorgeous salad which Jamie proclaims is a very kid friendly recipe. Yes, I was so looking forward to trying this.

Here's our finished salad and "it's all too beaut-tee-ful". So what's the story here? I never took the time to consider this is really a fancy coleslaw. And really what kid loves coleslaw not drenched in gobs of mayo-style dressing? But that's not what this one is all about. However psychedelic and beautiful this is, was Jamie on hallucinogens thinking kids would eat this? Was he more mesmerized by the pretty colours than to take a taste? Because I did, and neither Nuno nor I got too far into our helpings. Owen didn't touch his and we still have 3/4 of this salad around 3 days later. The dressing was just odd... leave it to the British to throw worcestershire sauce in a coleslaw dressing - that just didn't work for me. What I did like about this salad were the pears (which are in season and delicious right now) and the mint were lovely additions. But come on Jamie! Let's bridge the gap between healthy and kid friendly without tipping totally off the scale!