if you’re up for a project, I’ve got a suggestion. It’s a lentil salad with roasted peppers and tomatoes. I have no idea where the recipe came from, but it called for tuna. Sometimes I use that. Sometimes I just leave it out. I often forget how much I love lentils, then when I’m reminded, I eat them for several weeks in a row. I’ve got a lentil-butternut squash salad waiting in the wings for when butternut squash returns to our box.
Ingredients:
Vinaigrette: 2 tablespoons finely diced shallot 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic Kosher salt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Salad: Kosher salt 1/4 cup brown or French green lentils 1 dried bay leaf 1 medium clove garlic 1 small carrot, peeled and halved 1 small yellow onion, unpeeled and halved 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion (white parts only) All the peppers in this week’s box, grilled, then skins removed Fresh lemon juice, to taste 2 medium ripe tomatoes Kosher salt Extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Make the vinaigrette: Mix the shallot, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to soften the shallot and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil and then stir in parsley.
Make the salad: In a 1-quart pan of well-salted water, bring the lentils, bay leaf, garlic, carrot, and onion to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Let the lentils cool completely in their liquid. Drain, discard the onion, carrot, bay leaf and garlic, and transfer to a medium bowl. Stir the scallions into the lentils and toss with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the vinaigrette.
In a small bowl, mix the roasted peppers with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette; add salt and lemon juice to taste.
Slice the tomato into thick wedges and arrange on your plate with the lentils and peppers. Sprinkle everything with salt and drizzle with olive oil.