The needle is hitting the hundreds in Dallas, TX, this week, time to make some seasonal cool salads to go with our staple diet of steaks or half hogs on coals.

Coarsely shred the cabbage and add sugar and salt. One tbsp sugar and two tbsp salt should be just enough for a small to medium sized head.

Cover and let stand in the fridge or a cool place of the house for an hour. In the meantime combine 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar (if you can’t find good tarragon vinegar just make it 3 tbsp apple cider and add some minced tarragon), dill to taste, and one minced shallot.

Combine dressing and cabbage, toss to combine, return to fridge or cool place and let stand another hour.

Remove and toss again. Add one quarter cup of thick sour cream and one half cup of good, whole milk, yoghurt. Don’t use the non-fat treated version, they’re useless. Toss to combine again. Return to fridge for another hour, toss, serve with apple batonnettes and blood orange wedges.

Best darn salad for these temperatures. And seasonal, too. Cabbage and apples are just now in season in northern Texas, blood oranges are on their way out and what better way to celebrate them than to use them before they’re gone.