Heart Eyes, Vol. 188: Stewy Lentils with Chard and Feta
Friends! Hello. Happy Friday. I realized this week that although I haven’t been on a school schedule since 2002, my mind’s eye sees the year as a specific scalene triangle: One side January through May, a sharp turn to June through August, and then September through December. I also realized that maybe I’m the only one who sees the triangle? (You know, the triangle.) Anyway, congratulations to us all! We’ve made that all-important turn to the shortest and brightest leg of the year. Whatever you’re doing with these days and weeks and months of summer, I hope they’re full of things to look forward to and things to savor. I think you’re doing great.
Today, just a recipe! Enjoy!
What to Cook: Stewy Lentils with Chard and Feta
This is a recipe I find myself coming back to over and over, especially when I’m at a loss for what to cook—a real “when in doubt” situation. It’s simple, healthy food, made a little special by the addition of harissa for heat, and feta for salt and protein, and potentially a host of other garnishes and additions if you have them—the author, Jenny Rosenstrach, suggests yogurt and dill and naan, and I can’t object to any of that.
I like that it includes the chopped chard stems, for extra veggie matter and less waste. I’ve made it with fancy black lentils and plain brown ones, and it’s delicious either way. It’s worth noting that as written, it makes an outrageous quantity of lentils for one person; I’ve recently been experimenting with making a half-recipe and it’s been more manageable. I think it’s a sleeper hit, the kind of thing that makes you think “Lentils and greens? Really?” and then realize later that you’ve made it once a month for the past six months. Maybe you’d like it, too.
Stewy Lentils with Chard and Feta
By Jenny Rosenstrach in The Weekday Vegetarians
3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 cups chopped Swiss chard, including stems
Salt and pepper
2 TBSP harissa
16 oz. black or brown lentils
6 cups vegetable stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
In a large stock pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, chard stems, salt, and pepper, and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in harissa and cook one more minute.
Add the lentils, stirring until they glisten, then add the stock and thyme. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then lower it to a simmer, adding more water as it cooks. Cook until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes.
Turn heat to low and remove thyme sprigs, stir in the chopped chard leaves, and cook until they wilt, another 1–2 minutes. Serve in bowls with feta, optional dill, more thyme, yogurt, and/or bread.
Blockbuster Review: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
It’s a shame that this movie was then and is now so completely unmemorable; it’s also very enjoyable! I don’t know why that terrific cast and their overall terrific performances can’t make it stick. (On the other hand, far be it from me to say a discouraging word about ultimate dreamboat Lee Pace, but…what is he doing here, exactly, with that extraordinarily half-baked accent? HMMM.)