Po'Lentils!!!
Lately, I've become somewhat obsessed with making a few dishes again and again. Maple-roasted winter squash (especially Delicata, Queen of Squashes), handcut oven fries with skins on, potato-leek gratin, really simple green salads. Here is a lentil dish I've been perfecting. I recently discovered French green lentils (or Puy lentil, I think they're also called), and they have completely transformed my idea of the lentil's potential. They are so much more delicate and savory than regular brown lentils, and also not nearly as heavy. This is the dish that I keep making with them. It doesn't really have a name, but I've started calling it Po'Lentils because it is really good with polenta.
Sauté about a cup or a cup and a half chopped onion and/or leeks and one bay leaf in olive oil until the onion is all soft, then add about 3/4 cup of French Green Lentils and enough veg. stock or water to cook them, maybe 3 cups, bring to a boil and then simmer for 20-30 min, until some of the lentil skins open, then add a couple of pinches of salt and a pinch of nutmeg and keep simmering it until the lentils are all tender and starting to get mushy. Then stir in 2 cloves crushed garlic, about 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and a whole big mess of coarsely chopped greens. Choose some of the more spicy, substantial, and interesting dark leafies. I've been using a mixture from my CSA farm that has the first tender leaves of chard, kale, collards, mustard greens, and some others. Spinach would be okay, too. Like six huge, brimming handfuls. Cook it all together until the greens are soft. It would be good with some tomatoes in it, too.
Serve it over soft polenta (with butter in it), and put some cheese on top. There's this Bulgarian feta that New Seasons has that is perfect. I just picked it out once because it was their cheapest feta, but it turned out to be really excellent and unusual, all pungent and creamy, not as salty or sharp as usually feta is. So look for the feta cheese from Bulgaria. Or just put Cheddar or Parm or whatever.
Sauté about a cup or a cup and a half chopped onion and/or leeks and one bay leaf in olive oil until the onion is all soft, then add about 3/4 cup of French Green Lentils and enough veg. stock or water to cook them, maybe 3 cups, bring to a boil and then simmer for 20-30 min, until some of the lentil skins open, then add a couple of pinches of salt and a pinch of nutmeg and keep simmering it until the lentils are all tender and starting to get mushy. Then stir in 2 cloves crushed garlic, about 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and a whole big mess of coarsely chopped greens. Choose some of the more spicy, substantial, and interesting dark leafies. I've been using a mixture from my CSA farm that has the first tender leaves of chard, kale, collards, mustard greens, and some others. Spinach would be okay, too. Like six huge, brimming handfuls. Cook it all together until the greens are soft. It would be good with some tomatoes in it, too.
Serve it over soft polenta (with butter in it), and put some cheese on top. There's this Bulgarian feta that New Seasons has that is perfect. I just picked it out once because it was their cheapest feta, but it turned out to be really excellent and unusual, all pungent and creamy, not as salty or sharp as usually feta is. So look for the feta cheese from Bulgaria. Or just put Cheddar or Parm or whatever.