Posted on by Willem

Friday/ shepherd’s pie with green lentils

I read everywhere that we all need to eat more lentils and beans.
So when I saw this recipe (New York Times account needed for link) for a vegetarian shepherd’s pie made with French green lentils, I went for it.
It was a bit of work, but my efforts paid off nicely in the end!

I made sure I had all the ingredients laid out first. When the action starts, the item needs to be available right away! There’s tomato paste, whole milk, French green lentils, peas, sour cream, sliced mushrooms, sliced leek, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, flour, carrot, lemon juice, butter, parmesan cheese, fresh thyme, minced garlic and russet potatoes.
A closer look at the French green lentils*. These were cheap ($2.49/ lb) and I’m sure they were grown in the USA.
*Per Wikipedia: The term ‘Le Puy green lentil’ (say ‘le pwee’) is protected throughout the European Union (EU) under that governing body’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), and in France as an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC). In the EU, the term may only be used to designate lentils that come from the prefecture of Le Puy (most notably in the commune of Le Puy-en-Velay) in the Auvergne region of France. These lentils have been grown in the region for over 2,000 years and it is said that they have gastronomic qualities that come from the terroir (in this case attributed to the area’s volcanic soil). They are praised for their unique peppery flavor and the ability to retain their shape after cooking.
Here’s the filling of the ‘pie’ in its final stage. After this, it all went into a Corningware casserole dish, with a layer of the mashed potato on top, and then into the oven for 30 minutes for baking.
The finished product after two hours. Yay! The shepherd’s pie is ‘comfort food’ with a nice texture and is very tasty.

2 Replies to “Friday/ shepherd’s pie with green lentils”

  2. Sorry about that .. looks like I cannot update the link to go to the New York Times page without needing an account.

    Reply

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