red cabbage + kohlrabi {slaw}

I’ve been thinking about color a lot the last few weeks since I’m moving my office and have had to make the semi-permanent decision of choosing how to paint the walls.

Out of that sentence the first thing you’re probably thinking is ‘she has an office?’ Yes, even though I’ve always worked from home, I’ve always found it very important to have my own space. I think that if I didn’t, I would never have been able to be as productive as I have been over the last couple of decades. My first office here in Rome, after I moved in with Domenico, was no more than a desk in the corner of our then dining room. Totally open to the rest of  the apartment, I found it almost impossible to concentrate and was continually distracted by the conflicting needs to get up and have just one more cup of coffee and  – while I was at it – put another load into the washing machine. Writing a book on Italian ceramics or an article on a Tuscan villa came far down the list of pressing chores.

That situation solved itself with the arrival of Sophie and then Emma, who not only took over our life, but took over our dining room as well, which got walled in to become their room. It was at that point that the abandoned crawl space beneath our roof, just off the terrace, began to look mighty tempting. We fixed it up, and it became my very own, light-flooded office, complete with a separate entrance and – although the real distance from our home to my desk was non-existent  – was ‘apart’ enough to give me the space to think, write and create.

I loved my little bird’s nest. But our own little birds continued to grow, and after a few years we realized Sophie needed her own room. So I gave up my much loved retreat, but luckily was able to move into the newly available space on the ground floor of our building. Where I’ve been happily typing away for the last ten years. Not nearly as sunny as my roof-top perch, I came to love it not only for its coziness, but for the access to the street life that was literally right outside my door. I took any excuse that didn’t involve my being on the computer – a phone call, checking instagram, getting up to stretch – to open my front door and hang out on the corner. It was my corner – which happens to be one of the prettiest in Monti – and I loved it.

Why am I moving again? Time flies, birds leave the nest and I’m heading back upstairs to Sophie’s now-abandoned room. Even though change can be disruptive, and I’m a creature of habit when it comes to work, I’m very excited about setting up my new office.  Back on the terrace, I’m excited about the light and the plants and just being able to throw away the work detritus of the last ten years of my career that’s piled up in my ground floor space. I want to start fresh and clean.

And so, color. What color to paint the walls? Domenico was urging for something heavy and saturated – I think he had a British clubby thing in mind – but since this was my office I knew I had to figure it out on my own.

So I started thinking about color. My life is full of bright, vivid colors, especially this time of year. Emerald green bunches of kale, shocking orange chunks of pumpkin and my favorite heads of bright purple cabbage. These colors inspire me, thrill me and fill me with joy.

But did I really want a pumpkin colored office?

After spending way too much time on Pinterest (at least it’s good for that) I finally settled on what I decided would be a soothing, calming and perfectly clean slate from which to start this next chapter of my creative life: dove gray and white.

Our next project? The other bird has left the nest as well. Which probably means  we’ll eventually be reclaiming our original dining room. What do you think? Kohlrabi colored walls anyone?

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purple slaw

Prep 20 mins

Total 20 mins

Author Elizabeth

Yield 6

If you can't find everything salt, just use a bit of caraway and sesame seeds along with your normal salt. And while I used some gorgeous purple kohlrabi, white is the same, since you have to peel them anyway.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of purple cabbage
• 1 cup shredded kohlrabi (about 4 small ones)
• 1 apple
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• everything salt
• pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Cut the cabbage in half, and then cut one half in half again. Cut out the core, and thinly slice into strips. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with 2 tsp of Everything Salt (thank you Gillian for this great gift!) and massage it into the cabbage using your hands. Really bruise the leaves, to soften them a big.
2. Peel and grate the kohlrabi. Add to the cabbage.
3. Peel and cut the apple into half inch pieces.
4. Add the apples and nuts to the cabbage, toss and then dress with the olive oil and lemon juice. Adjust for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if you’d like.
5. It’s best if you let it sit for at least 20 minutes, to let the cabbage soften a bit.