Good point, lentils (perhaps beans in general?) are actually very easy to grow, according to a friend here who grows organic ones in the Tarn nearby. Another note: lentils are staple food in Sri Lanka. Most people there eat lentils almost daily.

I rediscovered lentils over there. I was angry at lentils before that, as I used to find them dry and tasteless in French recipes. But in a curry, wooooooooow! Parippu (lentil curry) has got to be one of the best dishes in the world.