Some foods seem so pure and unadulterated that it would hardly be necessary to check their ingredient lists just to be sure.  A couple of years ago I would certainly have included cottage cheese in that category.  That, of course, would have been before the day my young shopping assistant and ingredient list reader, looking through the contents of my shopping cart, asked me what “food starch” was.  Food starch, I said absentmindedly, usually refers to corn starch or white flour.  It’s used to thicken foods.  “It’s in the cottage cheese,” he said. 

• 1 quart of milk.  Milk that is no longer perfectly fresh, but not actually sour, is perfect for making cottage cheese.
• 1/4 cup vinegar.
• salt
• heavy cream, or half-and-half, to taste

Heat the milk to 120 degrees, and then add the vinegar.  Stir until well mixed.  The milk will start to create curds.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Strain the milk in a colander lined with a tea towel. 
Gather the sides of the towel to make a ball of cottage cheese inside the cloth.  Run the ball of cheese under cold water while squeezing and massaging the ball.  Rinse thoroughly.  Open the towel onto a large cookie sheet and allow the cheese to dry.  Massage to break up the curds.

This is dry cottage cheese.  When ready to eat, season with salt and mix with cream if desired for a more creamy cottage cheese.
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This week my CSA (community-supported agriculture) share included red- and green-leaf lettuce, kale, tomatoes, garlic scapes, and scallions, and some other greens whose name I do not know.   All fresh, fragrant, and wonderful, eaten cooked or raw.  But that’s not what I want to write about today.  Today I have in mind a different simple idea:  roasted onions.

4 medium sized yellow onions with the peels ON
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
balsamic vinegar

Turn on the oven to 425 and put the rack at the bottom of the oven.  Slice the onions in half, and put them in a plastic bag or a large bowl that has a lid.  Add the salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Close the bag or bowl, and shake until well mixed.  Remove the onions and place them, cut side down, on a cookie sheet with an edge.  Roast approx. 25 min until tender and golden.  Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar if you’d like a little extra zing.  These are really, really gooooood, and they add a special something to every meal you can imagine.
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I have made coleslaw twice in the past two weeks, so I think it’s time to share it with you!  The first time I made it with green cabbage and added in a little bit of red cabbage for color (and because I had some to use up).  The second time I made the whole recipe with red cabbage and it was very pretty.  Both times it came out equally delicious.

Combine all of these in a large bowl and mix well:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Then slice very thinly:
1/2 head cabbage
1 small onion

Now make carrot peels with a peeler.

Add the onion, cabbage, and thin carrot strips to the dressing.  Mix very, very well, mashing the cabbage a bit as you mix.  Then let the cole slaw rest in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, and mix again before serving.  You can make it the day before if you want.
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I just had a plateful of the quinoa salad (Taste of the Aztec salad) at Mustard Seed Market, and thought it was fabulous.  So I asked for the recipe, and Abraham Nabors, second-generation owner of Mustard Seed Market, said “Sure!”  So here it is:

Taste of the Aztec Salad

1/4 lb. quinoa
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup canned black beans
1/4 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 bunch green onions
1/4 red bell pepper
1/4 yellow bell pepper
1/8 bunch cilantro

1/4 cup olive oil
1 T rice vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1/2 T dry parsley
1/2 T cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Steam quinoa with water for 35-40 minutes and cool.
Thaw corn and rinse beans.  Halve tomatoes, chop green onions and cilantro, dice peppers.
Mix dressing and combine with vegetables and quinoa.
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Mustard Seed invited me to come see what they’re all about: a commitment to the health and wellbeing of their customers, knowledgeable owners, and — for the first time ever — a 20% off Customer Appreciation Sale on regularly priced items all day this coming Saturday, June 11th! 

Full disclosure:  They fed me wonderful salads for dinner, treated me to a $25 gift certificate which I spent mostly on dried fruits and nuts, and made me a “green juice” from parsley, cucumbers, celery and other greens.  Let’s help them make this first-time-ever sale a big success.  They have been in this business for 30 years!
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My husband has a very relaxed approach to making smoothies.  They’re
very good.  Today I decided to try and pin him down once and for all. 
This was the best I could do.

2 bananas, fresh or frozen (it depends)
a buncha-buncha frozen berries (he means whatever happens to be in the freezer…)
fresh berries ‘n’ berries (…and whatever is in the refrigerator)
plenty of ice

How much?, I ask.

“I make as much as the food processor thing’ll hold and then let it chop.”

Water?

“Sometimes you hafta put in a little water to get it to swirl.  Depends how much is in there and how frozen it is.”

That’s it.  He’s a purist.  This makes enough for about 5-6 smoothies.
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If you’re the kind of person who thinks about stuff like the degree of deliciousness per amount of energy required to prepare it, this recipe ranks right up there.  No kidding, this is one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made.  Okay, it’s not as easy as eating grapes.  But close. 

Slice up a large onion with a little olive oil, and let it sizzle for a bit until the onions are getting clear. 
Toss in 3-4 chopped tomatoes, and about a cup and a half of okra (sliced in 1 inch pieces). 
The okra has to be fresh from the grocery store, but the tomatoes can be fresh or canned.
Add 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and cayenne pepper.

Let the mixture simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes.  That’s all. 

Best of all, you can serve it hot, cold, or at room temperature.  No matter which, it’s really good.

I ate my first carrot-mint salad at the table of my dear neighbor, Betty, who was born in Morocco, grew up in Israel, came to Cleveland as a young mother, and became a gifted and inspired cook somewhere (everywhere!) along the way.  She taught me that there’s something about the mix of sweet carrots and mint that makes my tastebuds very happy.  Here is a different carrot salad, more or less from Claudia Roden’s Book of Jewish Food, that 18 people made disappear from my table the other night. 

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
salt (1/2 t) and pepper (1/4 t)
water

Cover carrots just barely with water, bring to a boil, and allow to simmer at low heat for 30 minutes until the carrots begin just barely to soften.  Add the celery for the last 15 minutes of cooking.  Then pour off most of the water leaving just enough to make a sauce, approx 1/2 cup.  Add olive oil, parsley, mint and olives.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix.  Let sit for at least a few hours to allow flavors to blend.  Serve cold or at room temperature.