Eating

Like risotto, but made with farro. The first cultivated grain. We humans have been growing this stuff for more than 10,000 years. Incredibly high in protein. Great nutty flavor. A light, bright, satisfying meal with a lot of fresh flavors and textures.

Today's the big day. Early Spring, the weather should be fine to make a big party's worth of paella on the grill. But the party goes on even if it's rainy, windy, chilly. The lesson: this is a perfect time for National Spanish Paella Day. Because it's just as great when you make it in the kitchen. Here are three great Ways.

Sweet Tomato-Fennel Risotto. Luscious, elegant and hearty. Deep, richly flavored rice with the bright, sweet flavors of spring and summer. Easy to make it great in 30 minutes. Required kitchen skill: stirring. And not too much of that.

A beef broth with root vegetables like turnips and carrots. A rich beef stock spiked with sherry vinegar and allspice. Very light and very satisfying. Two days worth of Vitamin A and a day's worth of Vitamin C. So what's the turtle story?

Crisp, buttery potatoes. Rich, melting eggplant. A creamy no-cream sauce. And a luscious spiced tomato chickpea blend instead of the traditional ground lamb. A seriously delicious Way to get a high-protein vegetarian dish into your diet.

Replace the classic beef soup stock with bean "pot liquor" aka bean soup. Delicious. Rich. Aromatic. Even better than the classic. More flavorful. Sweetness and earthiness from the beans and the beets.

A hearty, hugely tasty serving of pasta, vegetables and cheese. Think of it as an Alpine vegetable lasagna. With a lot of protein, 100% of your daily Vitamins A and C and calcium. A pasta you never heard of and a Way to learn to love Swiss Chard.

A huge flavor upgrade to every bite of an already wonderful grilled fish. Fantastic with any vegetable. A much-more-than-just-pleasant surprise tossed with noodles. Three minutes to prepare. Water, butter, soy sauce. Water's the key. Emulsify, don't melt.

The best of all worlds. A light, satisfying, deeply flavorful meal. A traditional comfort food transformed to a pizza. No baking dish to wash. Great vegetable flavors in the middle of the winter season.