I ate my first carrot-mint salad many years ago at the table of a Moroccan-Israeli neighbor who brought her culinary heritage with her when she came to Cleveland. She taught me that there is something unbelievable about the mix of sweet carrots and mint. Sometimes the simplest combinations create the most remarkable tastes. Here is a carrot salad from Claudia Roden’s Book of Jewish Food. It is such a delicious recipe that I once watched a table full of people make a bowlful disappear in hardly any time at all. It’s a great recipe for every day, but it’s also wonderful for special celebrations.

1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (less than 1/4 in)
4 stalks of celery, sliced twice as thick as the carrots (approx 1/4 in)
1/4 cup cured black olives
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
6-8 leaves mint, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
water to cook

Cover carrots just barely with water, bring to a boil, and allow to simmer at low heat for 30 minutes until the carrots are beginning to soften. Add the celery after 15 minutes, so the carrots and celery cook together for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Pour off most of the water, leaving approximately 1/2 cup, just enough to make a sauce. Add olive oil, parsley, mint and olives, and mix gently.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Leave at room temperature for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.

Serve cold or at room temperature.