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Spinach and Lentil Soup - Organic Box News 08.06 - 11.06.2010
by Matt, 2 yr, 11 m ago in Blog
Comments | Tags: Box News, soup, salad
We have a few Cornish new potatoes arriving this week, and we’ll be able to put them in the boxes next week. If you have a no-potatoes box and fancy a few, just call and we can send them as a side order. We’re hoping for some strawberries for the fruit boxes too. One word or warning; these early season crops can stretch the budget a bit so your box might look a little on the light side over the next few weeks. This week’s box looks fairly hearty still, based on locally grown spinach and cucumbers, and tomatoes and cauliflowers from Herefordshire.
SPINACH AND LENTIL SOUP This is a thick soup which could, with a little extra simmering away of the water, be used as a vegetable accompaniment .... 400g spinach chopped, 250g brown or Puy lentils rinsed, 1 bay leaf, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 cloves garlic crushed, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper and possibly a pinch of chilli powder. In a large saucepan bring about 2 litres of water to the boil, add the lentils and bay leaf and cook until just tender; it should take about 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile in another pan heat the oil and gently cook the onion until lightly browned. Add the garlic and a minute later the spinach, and seasonings. Let the spinach stew for a couple of minutes and then add to the lentil mixture with the lemon juice. Stir and check the seasonings and cook for a couple more minutes before serving.
CUCUMBER AND YOGHURT SALAD. ‘CACIK’ a popular Turkish mezze from ‘A New Book Of Middle Eastern Food’ by Claudia Roden. 1 lg cucumber, salt, 2 cloves of garlic, white pepper, 450ml yoghurt or a mixture of sour cream and yoghurt, 1 tbsp dried or 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint. Peel and dice the cucumber. Sprinkle it with salt and leave to drain for ½ an hour. Using a pestle and mortar crush the garlic with a little salt and stir into the yoghurt adding more salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the mint and cucumber. Serve with flatbreads. For a sharper flavour stir in a little vinegar and olive oil.