observations about houston

the mornings and evenings are lovely - 70s, breezy.  let's not talk about the middle of the day.

strangers are friendly - hooray!  welcome back to the south, miss claire!

i've been waking up BEFORE EIGHT AM because my bedroom window faces east and my blinds aren't the best.  shockingly, so far this hasn't made me too grumpy and i've gotten out of bed - this morning i was on a run/walk on a 3 mile trail in a nearby park at 8:45am.  pick your jaw up off the floor: it's true.  when it's 85 degrees by 11am you have to get yourself in gear early.

i have emptied every box from my move!  i use the word "emptied" instead of "unpacked" because there is a huge pile of things on my dining room table that need to be organized and/or put away.  but progress is being made.

i made some yummy lentil stew from a recipe my friend nigel gave me; he made it when i was visiting him and nora in DC a couple weeks ago and i kind of went nuts for it.  seriously: delicious.  when i made it this week i ate it with some crusty bread and brie.

French Lentil Stew 
2 T butter
2 med onions, thinly sliced (2c)
1 sm celery stalk, cut into ¾ in pieces (½ c)
1 carrot, chopped
3 or 4 lg garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 t curry powder
1 c canned crushed tomatoes, or chopped, canned plum tomatoes
1 c lentils
3 c vegetable broth
3 c water
1 bay leaf
½ c coarse bulgur wheat
salt & freshly ground pepper
1.5 – 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (or lime juice)
½ c sour cream, crème fraiche, or plain yogurt (opt) for garnish
1/3 c thinly sliced green onions (opt) for garnish

Melt the butter in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Stir in the onions, celery, carrots & garlic; cover the pot and cook the vegetables without browning for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes more. Stir the lentils into the pot.

Add the broth and 3 cups of the water, and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the bulgur wheat and continue to simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender and the bulgur is tender-firm, about 10 minutes more. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Stir up to 2 T lemon juice into the stew and serve it in a warm terrine or bowl. Stir the sour cream to liquefy it slightly and drizzle about 1 T over the top of each serving. Give each a good grind of pepper, sprinkle with scallions, and serve very hot.

Makes 6 – 8 servings.

From “Come For Dinner” by Leslie Revsin

Note from Nigel: We like to add a wad of spinach at the end (either fresh or frozen) (~1/2 lb).