Don’t you love it when you pick up a cookbook and it falls open to a page that’s speckled with the results of kitchen action and crinkled a little with the moisture from cooking steam? My copy of Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant always falls open to this stew. In fact, the page in the trade paperback is about to fall out.
Yes,it’s vegetarian. In fact, if you skip the yogurt, vegan–which has become very fashionable lately, but at our house, when it happens, it’s by accident. This time of the year, when the local season is drawing to a close, I made this with the last of the sweet red peppers (which, by the way, can be thrown into freezer bags as is, frozen and dug out to make this some cold winter night).
The small quantities of lentils and beans may make some hesitate. But they’re not expensive bought at regular supermarkets, and if you’re concerned about waste, take your handy half-cup measure to somewhere that does bulk food, like Whole Foods or Jay on South Grand (talk about opposite ends of the spectrum), cover the measure with one of the plastic bags provided and measure whatever you need into the plastic-covered cup. Here’s a chance to try something new on the St. Louis market, too. Look for Fage yogurt, which is thick and wonderful, even the reduced-fat version. (The full fat is divine.)
This is a beautiful dish served as directed. I use fresh basil this time of year, and mince a little or find tiny, tiny leaves, to go on top of the yogurt, but parsley is fine, too. Go for the good old green salad and maybe some garlic bread - I know, it’s a Sixties cliche, but the combination was popular for good reason - and you’re rolling.
1/2 c. dried lentils
1/2 c. dried navy beans
2 large onions, chopped
3 Tbs. olive oil
6 medium red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. dried basil (or 2 Tbs. fresh chopped basil)
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 c. dry red wine
2 Tbs. dry sherry
1/4 c. tomato paste
salt to taste
yogurt or sour cream
chopped parsley or basil
Cover the lentils and beans (together) with plenty of cold water, cover them and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan, over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and cook until they’re golden brown. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the basil, marjoram, thyme and cayenne and black peppers, and continue to cook for another minute or two. Add the drained beans and lentils, enough water to cover everything and then the wine and sherry. Bring it to a boil, drop the heat to a simmer and cook gently, stirring and checking occasionally to see if it needs more liquid, which it probably will. Cook for about 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Mix in the tomato paste and taste to see how much salt you’ll need. Salt it and cook for another 10 minutes or so; timing is not very critical here. Re-check the seasoning by tasting and adjust if needed.
Garnish each bowl with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the parsley or basil.
Serves 6.
-Ann
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