Valentine's Day legumes

Lentils are one of my favorite foods. They're great for vegetarians, packed with protein and iron, as well as dietary fiber. Unlike other legumes, you don't have to soak them first, so they can be ready to eat after only about 30 minutes cooking time. Lentils are also very versatile: there are many different varieties, including brown, red, black, and the tiny French military green lentils du Puy, which I use in this salad. You can have them in soup, as more of a stew, with pasta, like baked beans, and in a salad. 

This salad is the easiest preparation I know. You don't even have to chop up the aromatics, just crush a garlic clove and cut an onion in half. Once the lentils are cooked, pour over a simple vinaigrette (heavy on the vinegar) and you're done. Easy and delicious. It makes plenty for leftovers, too, which keep in the fridge and reheat well.

One thing to remember about lentils is that you have to pick through them carefully looking for any stray pebbles, like this one I found yesterday:

Because lentils are good eating, but stones are not, and you don't want to break a tooth eating your dinner. The easiest way to look for stones is to dump the lentils onto a light-colored plate after you rinse them, then sift through them carefully and discard any pebbles you might find.

For our Valentine's Day meal, we had this lentil salad as a side dish, with Risotto with Parmesan as the main course. And of course, we had to have something chocolate that Mom could eat, so we went with Elizabeth David's Chocolate and Almond Cake, decorated with a powdered sugar heart.

Green Lentil Salad

Adapted from Bistro Cooking (1989) by Patricia Wells (you can also find the recipe on Food52)

1 medium garlic clove, peeled
1 medium onion
2 whole cloves
1 pound (450 grams) French green lentils du Puy; or substitute brown lentils
1 bay leaf
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup (60 grams) best-quality red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons (27 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Gently crush the garlic clove with the side of a chef's knife. Halve the onion and peel it; stick a whole clove into each half. Rinse the lentils, then pick through them carefully, discarding any pebbles.
    2. Place the lentils, garlic clove, onion halves, bay leaf, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Cover and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, between low and medium-low. Simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender but still intact and not mushy, 25 to 35 minutes. Start checking the lentils after about 15 minutes. During most of the cooking time, you should still see water when you tilt the pan slightly. You're trying to time it so that all of the water is absorbed right when the lentils are done. Add a little water as needed, but you shouldn't need more than ¼ cup. When the lentils are ready, remove and discard the garlic, onion, and bay leaf. Drain any liquid that hasn't been absorbed.
    3. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, and sea salt. Pour the mixture over the warm lentils and toss to coat. Season with pepper; taste and adjust for salt. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8 as a side.