This satisfying and comforting dish is adapted from Martha Rose Shulman’s idea, spotted recently in The New York Times.
She calls it a salad I guess because it is dressed with a vinaigrette–and an interesting one.
She suggests serving the lentils with roasted winter squash, so I chose pumpkin with different, spicier seasoning (recipe tomorrow!).
I topped the dish off with some plain soft goat’s cheese I’d bought from Frederick, our favourite local chèvre maker, in Castres market on Saturday.
I like the addition of turmeric to the cooking lentils. It lends them a touch of mystery!
8oz green lentils
1tsp fresh ginger–chopped very fine
1tsp turmeric
1 clove of garlic–peeled
1 small onion–halved
450ml/1 pint water
Combine these ingredients and bring to the boil.
Simmer gently, covered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
Drain off any excess water and empty the lentils into a bowl.
Mix the ingredients below together in a bowl in the order shown, leaving aside the parsley and turn this vinaigrette into the warm lentils, taking care not to mush the lentils too much.
Vinaigrette
1 tblsp red wine vinegar
1tsp balsamic vinegar
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp cumin powder
3tbsp olive oil
1tbsp walnut oil
salt and pepper
parsley–chopped
Sprinkle the parsley over to finish.
Robin Ellis 