Return to the Kitchen

A couple of spontaneous getaways to Maine left me with a fridgeful of unused produce and a hankering for some home-cooked food. My husband did his best to use some of the more perishable items (and even got creative by eating a salad with raw chard...I've never eaten it that way, have you?).



Determined not to waste the local bounty I brainstormed some recipe ideas while driving home. I'm not sure where the inspiration for this recipe originates from. I feel like I must have gotten the idea from somewhere but can't seem to recall. I had been wanting to use some red lentils but my usual recipes weren't appealing to me. I wanted something really quick too, of course. A simple "sauce" of leeks and red lentils was the result.



At the supermarket I find that leeks tend to be larger and more uniform in size. About 2 inches in diameter. The bunch I selected at the farmer's market had more slender leeks. The largest was maybe only 1 inch around. There were four leeks in my bunch and once they were cleaned and sliced I had about 3 cups. To clean and chop I first cut off the tougher green end then slice the leek lengthwise before chopping it into thin half-rounds. A few good plunges in cold water removes the grit.



Red Lentil-Leek Sauce
Serves 4

1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups sliced leeks
1 bay leaf
1 cup red lentils
3-4 cups of water
Tamari for seasoning

Saute the leeks and bay leaf in the butter and oil until lightly browned and tender. About 8 minutes. Rinse the lentils and add to the leeks. Stir in about 2 cups of water. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes adding water during cooking to achieve the desired consistency. I used somewhere between three and four cups. Add the Tamari to taste.

We ate our sauce over brown rice with grilled sweet potatoes.

In addition to the leeks (zucchini, purple pepper, cukes and chard) in the fridge I also had a giant bunch of Lacinato Kale (my favorite). Some of it got turned into Kale Chips for the girls, some was chopped to use in tomato sauce and the rest was shredded finely and sauteed with some onion and garlic.



Shredded Kale with Garlic
Serves 2-4

1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
3 cups finely shredded kale
2 cloved minced garlic
Extra olive oil for drizzling

In a large skillet saute the onion in the butter and oil until soft and translucent. Add the kale and stir frequently until the kale starts getting soft and wilted.

Add a small amount of water to the pan, cover and let the kale steam until soft and the water cooks off. Add the garlic and another drizzle of olive oil. Stir frequently for about a minute to just cook the garlic. Remove from the heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is delicious as a side dish. We heaped ours on top of whole wheat toast with goat cheese. We could have easily made four "toasts" from this. Even more if you make them appetizer size. Am I the only one who is always looking for interesting ways to serve veggies when I entertain?