The L Word: Lens culinaris

Sometimes I like to play the desert island game: if you were stranded on a pile of sand in the middle of the ocean, what foods would make your top-three list? Ten years ago, I would have said Tim’s Chips (lightly salted) and buffalo wings from Wings & Things in Anchorage (Don’t even think of comparing them to the Wingdome in Seattle.) My choices were purely from the gut. Nothing clever like oranges, so I could harvest the seeds and grow my own. As for a third island must-have, I’m just not sure.

Something as mundane as lentils would never had made my list. In fact, until I began working at Bastyr University, I didn’t even know what they were. And although they frequently appeared in the soup pots, I never ate them. Lentils are modest, and sitting next to spanikopita, the Greek feta-phyllo pies win every time. But slowly, my palate changed and I’m proud to say, I like lentils. How in the world did that happen?

As with most foods, preparation is everything, and the palate being fickle, takes some tickling to be won over when it comes to certain foods that aren’t fancy pants, like lentils. By definition they’re a pulse, the dried seed of a legume, which doesn’t sound very glamorous. Other popular pulses are beans and peas. Because they’re small, lentils don’t have to be soaked, and they cook in about 30 minutes. One of the first foods to be cultivated, they’re a staple in India, Europe and the Middle East. The well-known Indian dish, dal, is only one example of a popular dish featuring lentils.

Lentils feature a long list of nutritional benefits including fiber, which lowers cholesterol and moderates blood sugar. It’s also one of the best plant sources of protein without the fat. Only one cup of cooked lentils yields about 18 grams with less than one gram of fat, if you’re counting. Other benefits of these small wonders are essential minerals, including magnesium, iron and phosphorous. If you’re still not convinced, read what the Linus Pauling Institute says about them.

I wouldn’t try to sell you on lentils (and by now my fellow Bastyrians may have abandoned me) without a recipe to back it up. This one comes from Food & Wine: Warm Lentil Salad with Brown-Butter Vinaigrette, Pistachios and Feta. There’s something about the browned butter swirled with vinegar that creates a complex, mouth-warming sensation, a synergistic effect beyond the humble ingredients.  

Even if you don’t have all the ingredients, given the foundation four, lentils, butter, vinegar and cumin, the recipe still shines. The nuts, feta, mint, and onions add texture and counterpoint to the lentils, but you can substitute pumpkin seeds, as my colleague, Jane, did, and another kind of cheese, perhaps goat.

And that recipe is what won me over. I’m not sure how I stumbled on it, but prowl around in my kitchen and you’ll find a jar of French lentils (I buy them in bulk), unsalted butter, and cumin. If you’d like, I’ll have dinner ready in 30 minutes. I love having this simple recipe in my repertoire, which comprises things I can make without having to stop at PCC on my way home from work. As for the desert island game, I have to confess that I still haven’t committed to lentils, but they’ve earned my respect, and my fondness for the underdog lentil legume continues to grow.    

TIDbit: I’m a lazy baker and turn most cookies into bars. The peanut butter flour-free, chocolate chip ones I blogged about a few months ago were given rave reviews in bar form.

 SHOUTOUT: If you need a French fix in Seattle, try Cafe Campagne for breakfast: Cafe Vitta coffee, bread baked by Grand Central Bakery, and the ever-classic Croque Monsieur and other French delights. Oo la la, you’ll be happy post petit dejeuner.

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