Spring Veggies and Lentils, Italian-style

This recipe was inspired by not having gone grocery shopping this week, coming home from work, and seeing what could be thrown together in a half hour. The flavors were wonderful - fresh and sweet and bursting with flavor. It's kind of like what ratatouille would be if it were a little more substantial. (makes you wonder - how many dishes have been created because a cook somewhere had to use up the veggies before they went bad?) We had it with chicken on the side, but by increasing the portion sizes a little this could be a one-dish meal.

Am I cooking or painting? - check these colors!

Spring Veggies and Lentils, Italian-style

oil for sauteeing veggies (tablespoon?)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 medium yellow (summer) squash, chopped

1 medium waxy potato, with skin, chopped

2 carrots, peeled, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

Fresh garden herbs. I chopped fine:

about 1 tsp fresh marjoram

about 1 tsp rosemary

about 1/4 tsp thyme

about 1 tsp oregano

a couple of leaves of thai basil

salt and pepper to taste

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

About 1/2 or 2/3 of a 15-oz can of cooked lentils, drained, rinsed.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, saute onion and celery until slightly softened. Add fresh herbs and cook for about a minute. Add vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper, and increase heat slightly - cook until slightly softened, stirring frequently. Turn heat to low and add tomatoes (and juice) and lentils, Stir and cover. Cook covered, checking frequently, until vegetables are done (about 10-15 min). Add a little water if needed, but not much - consistency should be fairly thick.

Serve with grated parmesan if desired. Serves 4

In which I finally use my new spice grinder (Sambhar Curry)

My mom bought me a Cuisinart spice grinder for Christmas. I appreciate the heft and visual appeal of a mortar and pestle, but oooh, this thing is so much better. The first thing I made with it was a batch of Sambhar curry powder, which I used to season a vegetable-lentil dish (recipe below). The recipe below made about an additional half-cup which has stored well and smells like - oh, heaven. Wish I could photograph the fragrance.

I consulted a few recipes and used what I had on hand, so my spice mix may not match the one in your recipe book - but trust me, it's delicious. One ingredient you can't skip is the fresh curry leaves, which is a drag since I have to go across town to find those.

Note about curry leaves. "Curry" means a yummy spice blend used in Indian cooking. And curry leaves are used in some curries but other than that, as far as I can tell, they are a different thing. Curry leaves don't taste like "curry." (Yes, I ask the stupid questions so you don't have to!)

Sambhar Curry Powder

2 tsp whole cumin seed

6 Tblsp. whole coriander seed

8 curry leaves (fresh)

1/2 tsp. asafetida seeds (or powder)

1 1/2 tsp. whole fenugreek seed

2 tsp. turmeric (powder)

2 tsp. whole mustard seed

1 1/2 tsp. red chili (I used powder)

20 peppercorns

Heat a cast iron skillet (or similar) to medium heat on stovetop and dry roast each of the whole spices separately, putting roasted spices into one bowl together. To dry roast, use a spatula to turn the spice for just a minute or two. Curry leaves will become crisp and dry (but not burned). Seeds will begin to brown and pop when done. You probably don't have to roast the powders unless you get in the groove and feel like it.

roasted spices ready for the spice mill

 When all spices are roasted, grind into a fine powder using your spice grinder. (wheee!) Can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for several months.

We've used this mix in several recipes that call for curry. It's sweet and fragrant and fresh-tasting. But the recipe I originally made with it is inspired by the South Indian Lentils and Vegetables recipe in Indian, Deliciously Authentic Dishes. I'm almost embarrassed to site the book since I doubt they'd recognize my version of their recipe. But - it was delicious!

Sambhar Lentils and Vegetables

4 Tblsp. vegetable oil

6 curry leaves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Sambhar curry powder (2-3 teaspoons)

1 cup dried split red lentils (masoor dahl)

1/2 tsp. turmeric

about 2 cups water (or 1 cup water 1 cup coconut milk) [the original recipe calls for dessicated, unsweetened coconut]

about 2 tsp tamarind cake soaked in about 1/2 cup of very hot water for about 20 minutes [or 4 tablespoons tamarind syrup]

About 3 cups raw vegetables of your choice - for example, zucchini, green beans, onion, and carrots

15 oz can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

for finish:

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

handful fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan or dutch oven. Fry the curry leaves and garlic until slightly brown. Add lentils, curry powder, turmeric and water / water coconut milk mix. 

Simmer until lentils are mushy. Add vegetables, tamarind juice/pulp, and tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are slightly crunchy. 

In a small skillet, fry the garlic slices and fresh cilantro. Pour over lentils and vegetables. Serves 4 with leftovers.

Kitchen Garden

When we moved into this house in 1999 there was a small flower bed next to the back door, right outside the kitchen. Garden-starved after several years of city apartments and patio containers, I knew immediately it would be my kitchen garden. I'm not sure where I first heard the phrase "kitchen garden," but I loved the idea of fresh herbs right outside the kitchen door. 

Making that patch of dirt a little bigger was one of my first tasks in the new house, and over the years I've always grown herbs there, along with a few non-edible plants that have sneaked their way in. That black-eyed susan in the background was a gift for Tom's first father's day 10 years ago. I transplant new offshoots out of the bed every year and we now have a dozen of those black-eyed susans around the yard. 

In the picture above, you can see thai basil, tarragon (hidden behind the basil), thyme, cilantro, marjoram, parsley, chives. Pots on the stand tucked behind the fountain contain rosemary, oregano and sage. 


I took this photo just a few days ago and with the hot weather already the cilantro is thinking about going to seed. I'll have to make sure I snip off any seedy parts to try to keep the yummy green leaves as long as possible. But here's a tip about cilantro: you pretty much have to plan to start a new plant every six weeks. I have some seeds sprouting in the kitchen window now. I used to think I was doing something wrong, but apparently cilantro has no staying power in this zone. In a month this plant will be spikey and seedy no matter what I do to it. 

oregano

I was able to overwinter my oregano this last year in the kitchen. It sort of went dormant and then turned into this gorgeous green fountain as the days got longer in March. I used some in yesterday's vegetarian chili. As with all fresh herbs, the flavors are not as strong as dried, especially in a slow-cooked dish. So I used some of each.

thyme

Thyme is perennial, and I had some creeping thyme in this spot for about 5 years but it didn't make it through last winter. The replacement plant from the conservatory sale looks good so far!

marjoram 

I adore marjoram and have no idea how other people get by without it. The flavor is something like a sweet, mild oregano. It seems to add richness and flavor (for example, to salad dressings or broths) without having that distinctive Italian-pizza association. It is also perennial, at least in this sheltered bed, and spreads (although slowly.) I like the wonderful pale green color. 

This is sorrel, new to the garden this year. I thought it was pretty but apparently it can be used in salads too.
It's supposed to get fairly large (if whatever is nibbling on it will leave it alone!)

 

We grow regular basil and chili peppers in the vegetable garden, as well as chives and green onion. Some dill is coming up from seed as well. The best thing about cooking during the warm-weather months is being able to go out the door (or send a child into the garden) to pick fresh, flavorful herbs. 

Do you have a kitchen garden or windowsill herb garden? What's in it?