lentil and roasted parsnip salad with fresh spinach

I threw this salad together while getting ready in the morning, and then had it for lunch - an outdoor lunchtime picnic with Jessica on campus. :) Perfect for the (finally!!) spring-summer weather. It does take maybe 45 minutes because of the parsnip-roasting and the lentils, but it's a lot of hands-off cook time, so you can do other stuff. This might not look like much from the pictures, but it was a really delicious combination. The parsnips get really sweet when you roast them and they pair really well with the other ingredients. The lentils make it more filling, and the fresh greens make you feel like a responsible adult. :)

ingredients:
a bunch of parsnips
125g puy lentils

1 bay leaf
1/2 onion
a large bunch of spinach

honey-mustard dressing:
4 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice (or vinegar)
2 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 350. Peel and chop parsnips into rough chunks about the same size. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in 350 oven for about 40 minutes, stirring once.

2. Put lentils in a pot with lots of water. Let come to a rolling boil for 1 minute, then drain water and add just enough water to cover the pot. Add bay leaf and 1/2 onion and let simmer about 20-30 minutes. Don't let the lentils get mushy - you want them to retain some bite. (this is also why you need to use French or puy lentils and not the grayish-green ones). Remove bay leaf and onion when draining lentils.

3. Mix the dressing. Roughly chop the spinach. Mix everything together and serve warm. I packed the lunch by layering lentils (slightly cooled), parsnips, and then salad on top so it didn't get mushy. Then I mixed it together with the dressing when ready to eat.

carrot, parsnip, dill and white bean salad with toasted almonds

I remember when Synne made this for us in Berlin, a recipe from 101 Cookbooks. I have wanted to make it since then and finally got around to it. Plus added some parsnips we had from our CSA. When the carrots and parsnips caramelize in the pan, they get really nice and sweet. Dill seems very spring-like to me - fresh herbs always add so much. :) It's a great healthy and flavorful salad, and the beans make it very substantial.

As Heidi Swanson writes, if you used canned beans this recipe can come together in a flash. I thought the raw shallots were a bit intense.  Maybe add them in part-way through the cooking time to take off some of the raw edge. I also would have liked more dill flavor. Add in some raw dill to the dressing if you also have a taste for it.

root vegetable ragout with tarragon wild rice "pancake" topping

Tonight's Saturday day night dinner was a delicious, veggie-packed feast. We got a big new load of vegetables from the CSA on Friday, including parsnips, and flipping through cookbooks (a weekend hobby...) I saw this tasty-sounding recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Suppers. This helped us clean out the odds-n-ends of the vegetable drawer (some beets, carrots, parsnips). Jessica and I cooked together, which helped cut down the somewhat long prep time. But it is worth it. It makes a lasagne-pan size casserole of root vegetables, topped with a tasty wild rice "pancake" topping. It was a nice, fitting comfort-food for this unseasonable April weather (blgh).

Deborah Madison points out you could also make wild rice "crepes" and serve the ragout filling inside. I love any form of pancakes...but this makes the cooking time less hands-on than making individual pancakes.

Like all brown food, it didn't photograph super well, but I just have to convince you of the deliciousness: crunchy wild-rice tarragon topping...bright pink root vegetables and cabbage with a goat cheese sauce underneath. Yum.

Ottolenghi's ultimate winter couscous

This recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty, a vegetarian cookbook. Thanks to Synne for introducing me to this Israeli-born British chef, who also regularly writes for The Guardian. The flavors are always amazing in his recipes. This one was great for using our winter produce. I love recipes that are just so vibrant. This one, with the squash, carrots, parsnips, and warm spices, is very orange and very beautiful.