They say January is the most depressing time of year, but for me, it's always been March. Specifically late March, when I'm convinced spring is happening everywhere except New York. It's not just the below-freezing mornings and the vigilante snowstorms; it's the fact that I have no idea what to cook. My yearly cauliflower quota's been hit, winter squash and I need a break, and the thought of braising another meat has me tapping that Seamless app -- but I still can't dive into BA's best spring recipes because the produce, so far, is a no show.

So what's for dinner when the weather's still chilly and your CSA is months away? My answer, this year, has been cooking warm, mostly-vegetarian dishes with lots of fresh herbs. No, I'm not buying local (until I start that window box, which I keep meaning to do), but I can get by with what's in the produce aisle and these recipes, mostly from Healthyish food editor Andy Baraghani who luckily loves herbs even more than I do.