The truth is, most tomato salads don’t need a recipe. Vinegar, olive oil, plenty of crunchy salt, and call it a day. If you have some herbs on hand, throw those in.

In In the scorching summer days of southern Ukraine, where I grew up, when the heat hangs heavily in the air and the sun blazes down upon us, one dish comes to our rescue — kholodnyk, the fuchsia-colored cold borshch that brings instant relief from the heat and the blissful feeling of rejuvenation.

It all begins with an idea.