Whether preparing food on a dig, during other fieldwork activities, or at home, chopped and dressed vegetables are a flexible dish, simple to make, easy to store in tubs, and they tick all the boxes for all eating requirements - vegan, gluten-free and low-carb. Importantly, the acetic acid in the vinegar can help to avoid blood glucose 'spikes' in people with, for example, Type 2 diabetes; and the vegetables that are used are easy to store in boxes in the shade till needed by the fieldwork kitchen. Use as a side dish, as a replacement for something else (eg potatoes), a starter, or a snack.

So have a look at this short post if you want to make and eat cheap and healthy pickled vegetables (a kind of version of sauerkraut), or coleslaw. It's an incredibly simple and versatile dish (and I've often eaten it for breakfast the day after making it), with a vinegar dressing, and/or dressed with yogurt. It can be made with any available chopped and grated raw vegetables. 

For the coleslaw pictured here, I started with finely chopped onion, white cabbage, red peppers (capsicums), and added roughly grated carrot. I mixed and added seasoning (black pepper and a little salt) and covered generously with vinegar and a splash of lemon juice.

Extra vegetables and pickled vegetables

I also experimented with and added some chopped and sliced vegetables that I had to hand - jalapenos, cauliflower, green peppers (capsicums), and peeled cucumbers. Spring onions are also great, as are any available herbs such as mint and basil. Anything goes, really.

Add vinegar(s) and seasoning for pickled vegetables. I like the vegetables to be 'pickled' for at least a few hours before eating, but it's not essential. For a vinaigrette dressing, add a little olive oil or another plant oil, and perhaps some lemon or lime juice. Leon and lime juices now come in supermarket long-life bottles - or some very unrealistically 'fruit-shaped' containers. (Bottles are easier to recycle and cheaper ...)

All About Vinegars

I love vinegars. There are so many, from ordinary dirt-cheap malt vinegar to hip-tastic balsamic, and all the way back down the range to supermarket white wine and apple cider vinegars. They're all good.

My favourite is white wine vinegar, but each to their own. I'm not fan of too much over-powering cider vinegar.

What I do really like, if you want a dressing that's essentially vinegar, but with a spicy punch, is the amazingly flavorful liquid from a jar of jalapeno peppers - this does the job, and with an understated peppery taste. Add the actual peppers for extra vim, especially if this is replacing, say, a spicy potato, naan or rice dish.

Coleslaw

To make coleslaw, all you have to do is add some Greek yogurt. Full fat. No messing about with 'special' yogurts - just supermarket basic Greek yogurt will do. For vegans, use the dairy-free alternative.

The pickled vegetables will keep in a tub in a cool place for a few days - but once yogurt is added it's best to eat within a day.

Long-life bottles or jars of mayonnaise can also be used instead of yogurt - but check the sugar content if you've anyone on site or at home who's monitoring their blood glucose. Seriously, forget the fat content - look for the carbohydrates and sugar.