- COTTAGE CHEESE ANDFRUIT SALAD

Once you have tried this, you will never be tempted by its faint-hearted imitators in the form of commercial cottage cheese flavoured with fruit again. It is not only wonderfully refreshing on a hot day, but healthy, low-calorie (one of its advantages is that it does not need dressing), and also quicker than the average salad to prepare; nor need the fruit cost much more than the equivalent'salad vegetables.

Toa greaterextent than usual it is an idea ratherthan a hardand-fast recipe. The idea comes from one of the cafe/restaurants owned by the fashion retailer Joseph, where the fruit tends to include the most exotic available (such as star-fruit), but any kinds which go with the cheese are suitable, and most do: the only common one which seems to me to jar is the orange. Of those given below, the least dispensable are the passion fruit and banana.

Passion fruit (or grenadilloes) are small, round, dark brown fruits, the skin of which crinkles as they ripen. In contrast to their unpromising exterior appearance, however, the flesh (if it can be called that) is ringed with delicate red and has a peculiar but delicious scent. They are full of little pips, which you eat: as the flesh is almost liquid, you need a teaspoon. They are becoming increasingly easy to buy, and, at least relatively, are extremely cheap. Kiwi fruit are also fairly cheap; rosy grapefruit are considerably more expensive than the ordinary kind but you may prefer their sweeter, more delicate flavour. For 4.