Sunday: Lentils

Smoked "pork neck" (I'm not really sure how to translate Schweinehals beyond that) was also on sale on Saturday and I can't resist smoked pork on sale. So to "accompany" the asparagus last night I made a pot of lentils with smoked pork.

For the basic prep I sauteed diced onion (2 small), carrot (1), and celery (1 stalk) with chopped green garlic (2 Tbs) in olive oil, then added French green lentils (~1/2 cup), chopped parsley (1Tbs), a couple bay leaves, a pinch of herbs de provence, salt and pepper, and enough water to cover everything by about 1cm. I simmered this for about an hour, keeping an eye on the water level. Then I added a couple of thick (1cm) slices of smoked Schweinehals, which I pushed underneath the lentils, and simmered for another half hour.

The result, drizzled with good olive oil and topped with more parsley, was delicious.

We also had a green salad. Note to self: Zuckerhut looks like romaine lettuce, but it's way too bitter to use in pieces as the body of a salad.

Wine: Kanonkop Kadette 2004. The dark flavors in this wine went very well with the earthiness of the lentils.