Food Editor’s Note: Food Editor’s Note: This is a great summer soup from Norene Gilletz, author of several popular kosher cookbooks. The borscht is easy to make, cold and refreshing, and beautiful in appearance. Serve it in glass mugs for an elegant presentation. This recipe took no more than ten minutes to prepare from start to finish. Traditional borscht recipes call for sour cream as the dairy ingredient, but Norene has substituted buttermilk - it is healthier, the texture is smooth and creamy, and the taste is wonderful. The borscht aficionados in my family gave it their seal of approval! [Norene lives in Canada, so I have adjusted the amounts in Norene’s original recipe to correspond to U.S. measurements and packaging. You can easily double this recipe to serve a crowd or to have on hand in the fridge for quick lunches.]

Hummus was originally brought to Israel by Jews from Arab countries.  It is now eaten by everyone in Israel and by Jews and non-Jews throughout the world.  It is healthy, easy to make from scratch, and has a delicious, distinctive flavor.  It is traditionally eaten with fresh, warm pita bread, but can also be used as a dip with fresh vegetables or as an accompaniment to Israeli salad, falafel, and other Israeli dishes.  Tastes vary when it comes to hummus – some like it very thick, some thinner, some with added flavorings, and some with olive oil drizzled on top.  This basic recipe produces a fairly thick hummus – just add some of the reserved bean liquid or water or reduce the tahini paste to produce a thinner version.  There are instructions for flavor variations below the basic recipe.  Store the hummus in the refrigerator, but stir and let sit to take the chill off a bit before serving.

Food Editor's Note:  This is a vegetable dish that many people like to serve with a Rosh Hashanah dinner, as carrots are naturally sweet and provide good color and texture to a dinner plate.  But often the carrots come out too soft, too crunchy, too sweet, too gingery, or otherwise not up to expectations.  This recipe is a very easy one that leaves little room for variation in the final product.  Make sure you cut the carrots into pieces of equal size, so they cook evenly, and cook them just before serving so they don't soften more with a second heating.  It really is easy to do if you cut the raw carrots in advance and prepare the glaze in a separate bowl, ready to pour over the carrots and toss just before bringing to the table.

This is a flavorful version of an old standby. It takes a bit of work, but it is well worth it to serve fresh guacamole. The pepper and tomato add color, the onion a bit of crunch, and don’t forget the cilantro for a unique taste. For extra zip, increase the amount of hot sauce and black pepper. For a smoother texture, process some or all of the avocado with the lemon juice in a food processor. (To speed up preparation, you may also use the processor to mince the garlic, jalapeno pepper, and onion - but not the tomato.) Serve with corn chips or fresh vegetables, or as an accompaniment to burgers, sandwiches, or grilled meat.

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!