Lentils with Salsa Verde

Parsley is one of my favorite herbs. It is loaded with vitamins E, A and C (1/2 a cup of parsley has more vitamin C than an orange) as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. It is literally a nutritional powerhouse. Throw out your supplements and start eating parsley! Parsley helps the body process waste, having a detoxifying action on the entire system, it is also a diuretic and anti tumor. Did I mention it is a great digestive aid and helps the body absorb nutrients?

As you can probably imagine from my gloating love I am always trying to find ways to eat more parsley and encouraging others to do the same. I love the way it tastes and sometimes I find myself really craving the refreshing, salty flavor of those dark green leaves. While I hate to choose, I would say that I prefer the flat leaved Italian parsley over the curly, although I think both have a time and a place. When someone tells me that they don’t like parsley I always recommend they give the flat leaved parsley a try before they give up, many times they change their tune. It is often a little less strong and more reminiscent of a familiar leafy green.

Although I love a good parsley salad, with …. Lets just say apple, red onion, walnut with a light vinaigrette, nothings steals my heart like a good parsley sauce. One of my all time favorites is a traditional Italian “salsa verde.” I learned how to make salsa verde from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food, a beautiful book celebrating the beauty and taste of food’s own unique flavor. This is my recipe that I indulge in liberally and have been on a particular binge with lately (what can I say, there is just so much parsley in the garden). Parsley doesn’t discolor after chopping as basil and other herbs do, so this sauce keeps well and is an amazing and flavorful addition to any summer meal. Lately I make big batches and keep a jar in the fridge.

Lentils:

Soak overnight 2 cups of French lentils. In the morning strain the soaking water and cover the lentils with fresh water. Add 1 bay leaf, ¼ of a cinnamon stick and 5 whole cloves. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered on low until just soft. Don’t overcook them or the will fall apart when you serve. Once done you can fish out the cloves, bay and cinnamon if you have the patience. Don’t strain the lentils when they are hot, if you serve immediately use a slotted spoon.

Parsley/ Caper Sauce:

Finely chop two generous cups of flat leaved Italian parsley (large stems removed).
Combine in a small bowl with:
½ cups capers, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
the zest of one lemon
fresh ground black pepper

Toss ingredients together and cover with a nice Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Mix together and enjoy. This time of year in New England it can be hard to find an unwaxed organic lemon, so I have not been adding lemon zest lately and it is still very good. I do recommend you try it with the lemon zest at some point! You can add in other herbs too, experiment and be creative.

This recipe serves about 4 as a side dish and is great if you serve the lentils either hot or cold. You can put them over brown rice if you want to beef up the meal a bit. Spoon the sauce over the lentils and enjoy. It's yummy with a few slices of fresh tomato and a hard boiled egg.

Eat More Kale!

Kale is a delicious and nutritious dark leafy green, high in Vitamin C, calcium and potassium, as well as countless trace minerals. Greens are the number one food group missing from the average American diet and the funny thing about it is they are by far one of the most delicious tasting and well-liked vegetables by children and adults…when cooked well. Here are some basic technical cooking instructions to help you enjoy your greens in many ways.

STOVE TOP:
Start with 1 bunch kale, you can use curly green, red russian or elephant ear kale. All are delicious it is mostly a matter of preference and availability. Wash the kale and shake excess water from the leaves before cutting into strips, horizontally about 1/2 to 1 inch thick depending on how big you want the pieces. Use the entire stem, discarding any brown or spoiled parts.

In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot add kale, generously sprinkle with salt and pepper (and other spices, optional). Leave the kale in the pan as is until it steams slightly, about thirty to sixty seconds, then begin to stir and flip as needed. Once the kale has wilted down but is still bright green add 3 - 4 cloves of minced garlic, I like to chop it but sometimes I use a press. Stir in the garlic, sauté for another minute, taste for flavor and enjoy. I prefer my kale still be bright green, cooked until soft but not soggy, if you prefer it more or less cooked plan accordingly.

IN THE OVEN:
Have you ever heard of Kale Chips? They are a tasty snack and a healthy treat. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and prep kale as above. Heat kale onto two cookie sheets and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and other spices if desired. Put into 425 degree oven until crispy. It is important that the oven be hot and that the kale not have an excess of water on the leaves, either will cause the kale to steam rather than crisp into chips. But don’t fear, steamed kale is delicious too and a great way to prepare the stove top recipe. To steam kale in the oven cook at 300 and stir often, waiting to add garlic at the end as in the pan cooked method above. Making kale in the oven is a great way to prepare kale for a large gathering!

It's the season for...ASPARAGUS!

Asparagus is native to parts of Europe, northern Africa and eastern Asia. It grows wild in its native homes as well as in some parts of the United States and is widely cultivated as a vegetable. We eat the tender young shoots of the asparagus plant; left to mature it will grow tall with feathery, thin almost wiry leaves. If you see it growing wild you will most likely identify it from afar by its fragile and feathery appearance, often blowing in the wind along roadsides or by railroad tracks.

The tender shoots begin to appear in early spring, after some moisture and heat have given the roots the signal that it is safe to start their seasonal push. The roots will produce “spears” or shoots continually, until at the end of the season they will be allowed to grow to full maturity and nourish their roots in preparation for the winter and following spring.

I love asparagus and while I could see myself getting tiered of them if I eat too many, the short growing season and high price make asparagus always feel like somewhat of a treat. Don’t be fooled by those thin asparagus spears either, while they too are delicious the fat ones are often more flavorful!

I have two favorite ways to eat asparagus and I look foreword to them partially because of these much loved preparations. To prepare asparagus wash the spears well, then gently snap the hard base from the tender shoot. If you just bend or break the spear gently it should snap at its natural breaking point separating the tough part from the delicate top. From there, follow one of the following simple preparations:

ASPARAGUS WITH GARLIC OR LEMON AIOLI

Gently steam washed and “snapped” asparagus until tender and bright green. Remove from heat and set aside on a platter to cool. Serve asparagus cold with fresh home made aioli as a dipping sauce (see rosemary aioli, 3/28)! I often use plain salted aioli or add a garlic clove cut into a few pieces to the aioli as I whisk. The oils from the garlic give the aioli a mild garlic flare, without overpowering the sauce or the asparagus. I also sometimes add a small twist of lemon to my aioli at the end, perhaps just a tsp. or so, this also goes great with asparagus.

ASPARAGUS SLOW SAUTED IN OLIVE OIL

Slice washed and “snapped” asparagus into thirds on the diagonal, and in half if they are on the thicker side. Sauté the asparagus pieces in 1 Tbs. of olive oil over medium heat. They will take about 10 minutes to fully cook, you may want to cover them for just a minute or two but not for too long or they will begin to steam rather than sauté. Sautéd this way the flavors and sugars will develop and richen and the edges will become nicely browned. Before serving, toss with a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper.

It is amazing how fresh food prepared simply, but carefully can taste so good!