This easy treat is adapted from the traditional Catalan recipe, Pa amb Tomaquet, which translates simply to Bread and Tomato. In Barcelona and the surrounding countryside it is eaten both as a snack and as an accompaniment to meals. It also makes a delicious and portable breakfast. Use the most fresh and fragrant tomatoes you can get your hands on. Never refrigerate tomatoes - it spoils their delicate texture and flavor.

I like asparagus, but I enjoy it more when it’s been grilled or oven-roasted, rather than steamed. The flavor is more intense and the texture a bit more chewy. This is an easy vegetable to make for an outdoor barbecue - prepare more than you think you will need, as people can’t resist picking up the spears with their fingers and munching on them before they even make it to the dinner table!

Green  Beans with Roasted Onions

Simple, but delicious, this vegetable will complement almost any entrée.

My family eats much more grapefruit now that I prepare it in this way.  At first, the task seems daunting, but after one or two tries, you will get the hang of it.  In fact,  it doesn't take me any longer to segment a whole grapefruit or two for my family than it does for me to eat a half grapefruit the traditional way, with a grapefruit spoon.  And you can create some beautiful dishes with grapefruit or oranges cut up in this way.

My family loves to eat grapefruit prepared this way – who wouldn't!  You get all the luscious, juicy flavor of the pulp, with no peel or pith to deal with.  We eat the segments plain, or sometimes with just a sprinkle of sugar.  Click here to see how to segment grapefruit and oranges.

Just before Tu B'Shvat 2007, I was looking for a new recipe appropriate for the holiday that would include one or more of the fruits grown in Israel.  I recalled hearing of avocado being paired with grapefruit and so I tried various homemade dressings to top off these two of my favorite treats.  I made dairy dressings with sour cream, honey, and lime juice; various pareve dressings with combinations of different oils (the olive oil was overwhelming), vinegars, and citrus juices; and others.  Here, surprisingly, is my favorite.  The tastes and textures of the grapefruit and avocado complement each other beautifully – one rich and creamy, the other light and juicy.  Just a spoonful of the Asian-inspired dressing adds to the flavor and transforms the dish into a light first course that can be served before a Chinese-style dinner or any meal.  Serve the fruit on greens if you'd like – it makes a nice presentation.

This is a moist, easy-to-make bread with the distinct flavor of pumpkin.  Kids will gobble it up as it is soft and colorful and a bit sweet.  But not too sweet, and therefore perfect to serve with dinner, as well as breakfast and snack time.  Have it plain or with a spread (try maple butter), or drizzle it with a simple sugar glaze for dessert.  Double the recipe to use a whole 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree and make two loaves!