​Between my pantry and Robert’s we must have five pounds of lentils -- black lentils and green, brown lentils and red. I can’t tell you how such a collection accumulated, but this is not an ingredient I mind having on hand.
I decided to work through the black lentils first. They’re called Beluga lentils because they are small, almost round, and shiny, like black caviar. But they taste, deliciously, like lentils. Because they have a firm texture, they lend themselves to salads.
I could taste my beluga lentil salad before I put it together. There would be cumin in the vinaigrette and the defining herb would be mint. I’d roasted a red pepper a few days earlier and it was still in the refrigerator. It was definitely going in. I’m not a big raw onion fan, but if you are, add some chopped red onion to the mix. I added a can of tuna, crumbled some feta over the top, and we made a meal of it.
 
Beluga Lentil and Tuna Salad
Yield: Serves 4
 
1 heaped cup / 200 g beluga lentils
1 medium sweet red onion, cut in half, plus (optional) 1 small sweet red onion, finely chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, crushed or coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt (about 1 teaspoon)
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1 can olive oil-packed or water-packed tuna, drained
2 tablespoons chopped or slivered fresh mint (I used spearmint)
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Freshly ground pepper to taste
 
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar (more to taste)
Salt to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, to taste
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (more to taste)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons broth from the lentils (more to taste)
 
For garnish:
1 romaine heart, broken into small pieces
About 1/4 cup / 30 grams feta, crumbled
Sliced cucumber
 
1. Place the lentils in a strainer and pick over for stones. Rinse well and place in a 2- or 3-quart saucepan. Add 1 quart / 1 liter water, the halved onion, the crushed or chopped garlic cloves, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add salt (about 1 teaspoon) and continue to simmer until the lentils are tender but intact, another 15 to 25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Allow to cool in the pot if you have the time, then using tongs, remove and discard the bay leaf, the onion halves and the garlic.
2. If using minced onion in the salad, place it in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then drain and rinse.
3. Set a strainer over a bowl and drain the lentils. Place the lentils in a salad bowl and toss with the roasted red pepper, the rinsed onion if using, the tuna, mint, chives and pepper.
4. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, salt, mustard, garlic, cumin, olive oil and broth from the lentils. Toss all but 1 tablespoon with the lentil mixture. If desired, add a little more broth to the salad. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.  Toss the remaining tablespoon of dressing with the lettuce. Line plates of a platter with the lettuce, top with the salad, sprinkle with feta, garnish with sliced cucumber, and serve.

​I’m back! I’ve been going through the pantry, taking stock of the staples that have been sitting around for too long and are begging to find a place at the center of my plate. I just found a bag of einkorn, a soft wheat berry called petit épeautre in France,  that I bought last summer in Provence. Better use it up because I’m going back to Provence next month and will no doubt buy some more! I’ve made a couple of risotto-like dishes with it, one with mushrooms and one with asparagus and fava beans. It’s easier to make this kind of dish with einkorn than with rice because you don’t have to stir it. You won’t get the creamy quality of a real risotto, but you will get a dish with sensational texture and depth of flavor. The einkorn is soft enough to absorb the flavors of whatever broth you are cooking it in. Here it’s the intense broth obtained by soaking dried porcini mushrooms.

Einkorn “Risotto” with Mushrooms
Serves 4
1 cup / 200 g whole einkorn
About 1/2 cup / 20 g dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely minced
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 pound / 250 g cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup dry white or rosé wine
Salt to taste (about 3/4 teaspoon or more)
Freshly ground pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
 
1. Rinse the einkorn and place in a bowl.  Bring 3 cups water or stock (chicken or vegetable) to a boil and pour over the einkorn. Leave to soak for 1 hour.

2. While the einkorn is soaking, bring 2 cups water to a boil, place the dried porcini in a bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup and cover with the water. Let soak 30 minutes. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out liquid. Rinse in a couple of changes of water and squeeze again. Chop coarsely and set aside.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy straight-sided skillet or a wide saucepan and add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, and add the garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, and stir in the sliced cremini mushrooms and the chopped reconstituted porcinis. Cook, stirring often, until the fresh mushrooms have begun to sweat and soften, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

​4. Add the mushroom soaking liquid and the einkorn with its soaking liquid. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring from time to time, until the einkorn is tender and most, but not all, of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the parsley and if desired, stir in some of the Parmesan (pass the rest for sprinkling). Serve in wide bowls or on plates.