food: lentil salad

Lentil Salad

1 cup French green lentils*
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 - 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 - 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Generous handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as: marjoram, arugula, basil, etc.
Juice and grated rind of one lemon
3 Tbs good quality olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste

In a saucepan, bring the broth and lentils to a boil for 3 minutes. If the broth is unsalted, add salt as you would for pasta water. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes (until lentils are tender). Drain the cooked lentils. In a large bowl, mix the lentils, tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic, herbs, lemon rind, lemon juice and olive oil. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Note that the fresh garlic and lemon can be strong in the beginning, but will mellow within about 30 minutes.

Best served at room temperature.

* Brown lentils don’t work (they get mushy). The green ones can be found in the gourmet or health food sections of most grocery stores, or purchased online.

Download Lentil Salad.pdf

food: french vinaigrette

This is the quintessential salad dressing.

In a small mason jar, add equal amounts of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive so that the combined liquids fill the jar about halfway.  Add a heaping spoonful of dijon mustard, a generous pinch of sea salt and some fresh ground pepper.  Secure the lid tightly and shake well to mix.  Taste to correct the balance of ingredients.  I prefer slightly more vinegar to oil.  If the dressing tastes bland but is plenty acidic, add more mustard.