Down to Earth: Beets & Lentils

People have always told me that I am very down to earth.

Both of these ingredients are very "earthy", that's the only way to explain it.
They both have such an earthy smell and flavor coming straight out of the dirt.

If you remember our lentil lesson, I use lentils du Puy from France. They are a blue green color and hold up beautifully in salads and soups. (The caviar of lentils).

This makes a great lunch, healthy and pretty.
These 2 ingredients were meant to be together. Love at first bite.



Roasted Beets & Lentils (adapted from Canal House Cooking)

1 1/2 cups of green lentils, rinsed
3 cups water
1 small onion
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
salt & pepper
4 beets
good extra virgin olive oil
vinegar of your choice
big handful of chopped parsley
big handful of chopped scallions

To roast the beets:

Cut the stems and leaves off of the beets. Lay the beets in an aluminum pan or a foil packet. Drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt. Wrap package tightly to seal. Roast in a 400F for about an hour.



Let beets rest about 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Skins will rub off easily. Cut beets into small dice.

Cook the lentils:

In a stockpot, add the dried lentils with the cold water. Add the whole onion, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook lentils until tender, about 35-40 minutes. You will most likely have to add some more water to the pot when you see the liquid being absorbed.



In a large bowl, mix the lentils, and diced cooked beets together. Season with salt & pepper.



Add the chopped herbs and drizzle liberally with olive oil and a few dashes of vinegar (I used white balsamic).



Serve at room temperature and be earthy.

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