Eating

Your eyes say pumpkin pie but your nose knows Better. Dozens of savory-sweet aromas. So many flavors. All your taste buds are working overtime. And that's before the incredibly buttery, flaky pie crust begins to melt in your mouth.

Soffrito, the Italian sauce base you make with carrot, celery and onion, is One of The Best and Smartest Ways to Spend 30 Minutes in the Kitchen. Make a week's worth of this stuff and eat Better for a week.

The last of this season's peaches could use a little heat to bring out the sweetness they're not getting from the sun on these shorter days. Here's a Way to make them Better. Takes about 10 minutes and $4 to prepare. Makes 8 -12 happy people.

A casserole for chard lovers and chard deniers. Kathy had seconds because she loves the flavors of the accomplices. Tomatoes. Feta cheese. Bacon. But this really is a chard casserole. Lots of chard. A very little bit of everything else. Just enough to distract the deniers.

A smoky, firm, crisp, bittersweet grilled salad to serve alongside or on top of a burger, steak, chicken or fish. Less than two minutes on a charcoal grill or in a smoking' hot cast iron pan. A day's worth of Vitamin A, a half-day of Vitamin C and a good dose of calcium and iron.

A whole-grain cornmeal layer cake with ultra-fresh and juicy tomatoes and onions between the layers. When you want a little more than olive oil, a few flakes of salt and a leaf or two of basil with your summer tomatoes.

Aioli Cabbage Salad. Don't call it cole slaw. 20 cents and 83 calories for a big serving of a lightly dressed salad that happens to use a very rich, luscious dressing. Fresh, crunchy, creamy, pungent. Way Better than any cole slaw you can buy.

Concentrated sweetness from very ripe, barely cooked fruit. Flaky, buttery luxury-in-your-mouth from your leftover homemade pie crust. Your home smells like a very good bakery. Your tart costs 75 cents.

Cold zucchini strips slicked with sesame-peanut sauce. Thick and rich. Creamy but creamless. A luscious, mellow aspect to it. And a light, bright one. A little sweet. A little spicy. So refreshing, flavorful and satisfying you'll think about going vegetarian.