Delicious, but I cooked the beets first.

Many Greeks love giant white lima beans. This recipe is an adaptation of a dish prepared by the Greek chef Jim Botsacos for a Clean Monday celebration to benefit the Gennadius Library in Athens. Don’t soak the beans or they’ll fall while they cook. Mr. Botsacos serves this with skordalia.

“Most winter borscht is made with beef stock and/or meat bones. This one gets its deep, savory flavor from porcini mushroom broth.”
Advance preparation: You can cook the beets a day or two ahead. Keep them in the refrigerator in the broth. You can make the complete soup a few days ahead; it gets better overnight. Don’t add the parsley until serving.

“This rich-tasting risotto is decidedly pink (maybe it will be the key to getting your picky daughter to eat vegetables!). Use a full-bodied vegetable stock if you are vegetarian; otherwise use a well seasoned chicken or turkey stock.”
Variation: I often blanch greens when I get them home from the market so that they won’t wilt or rot in the refrigerator if I don’t get around to cooking them right away. If you do this, and want to use them for this risotto, chop the blanched greens and set aside. Add them to the risotto during the last few minutes of cooking, just to heat them through and amalgamate into the dish.

Advance preparation: The roasted beets will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. You can get ahead on the risotto, cooking it just through Step 3, then spreading the rice out in the pan or on a baking sheet. Reheat and proceed with Step 4 shortly before serving.