One week recently I found myself eating a number of bright, spicy, cheerful salad dishes.

Beets with Pickled Cauliflower, Chopped Onion, Feta Cheese and Pickled Jalapeños

Radicchio with Cucumber, Fresh Shell Beans, Clementines, Olives and Feta Cheese

An Indian Vegan recipe: Kachumber – Cucumber, Red Onion, Tomatoes, Jalapeños, Chile Peppers, Lime juice, and Kala Namak (black salt)

Then we had a good friend visiting us from Italy, up in the mountains. For a change of pace I made a spinach pasta dough, then cut it into Tonnarelli to serve a a first course to the meal. A few days later I used the remaining spinach-infused dough to make cannelloni, stuffed with whipped almond milk ricotta and feta cheese, topped with a little tomato sauce.

Finally, here’s a wide-angle view of our kitchen — spacious and well-equipped. You can see why we enjoy cooking there.