In the Mood For Noodles Video on YouTube

Just come across this youtube video called in the mood for noodles which is a spec commerical for non vegan (and probably non gluten free) noodles but had to share it. Like this video, the name for our blog did come from the beautiful wong kar wai film in the mood for love.

Will return to regular food posting soon, I promise!

Just come across this youtube video called in the mood for noodles which is a spec commerical for non vegan (and probably non gluten free) noodles but had to share it. Like this video, the name for our blog did come from the beautiful wong kar wai film in the mood for love.

Will return to regular food posting soon, I promise!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

No skirting the bavette!

It's the number one traditional bistro dish. The one you find on just about every menu of every little cafe and restaurant in France, whether in Paris or any of the regions. It's beloved of both adults and kids, locals and foreigners. It's simple, delicious, satisfying and inexpensive. It's bavette et frites, the most common way that the universally beloved classic, steak and chips, is presented in France.
Bavette refers to the cut of beef—known as 'skirt steak' in Australia (it also goes by the name of 'flank steak' in some other countries) Hence the atrociously punning title (sorry!) But despite the cut's huge popularity in France, it's hardly used here, except in mince. And that's really quite weird, because skirt steak is tender, flavourful, very non-fatty, and very much cheaper than other kinds of steak, despite the fact there's not much of it on a beast(only a few kilos). I bought a 350 g piece of it at the butcher's the other day(enough for two good steaks) for only four dollars—it is only about 12 dollars a kilo, and sometimes even less, about half the price of fillet steak but with just as much juicy taste. Because it's not usually displayed in butchers' display cabinets but kept out the back for making into high-grade mince, you have to ask specifically for it.
Skirt steak or bavette has a very characteristic look, with striations in the meat and a somewhat bulky look. It needs to be pounded with a mallet to flatten it out a little and tenderise it. It should then be cooked like any other steak, how you like it(though NOT well-done, no steak should ever be well-done, in my opinion, and juicy bavette even less!) It can be served with a nice garlicky herby butter, or with Bearnaise sauce, or with the traditional 'echalotte' (shallot) sauce of shallots cut up small, simmered in butter, with a little white wine added, salt, pepper, and a little splash of white wine vinegar. Or with any other kind of sauce you fancy, and of course it should be accompanied by some good home-made thick cut chips sprinkled with garlic and parsley, and a green salad with vinaigrette. Perfect!
Bavette can also be used in all kinds of other steak dishes where you need a good, tender cut, such as beef Stroganoff. In my opinion it is the most ridiculously under-rated and best-value cut of beef around. Sample some before more people cotton on to it and it goes up in price!

It's the number one traditional bistro dish. The one you find on just about every menu of every little cafe and restaurant in France, whether in Paris or any of the regions. It's beloved of both adults and kids, locals and foreigners. It's simple, delicious, satisfying and inexpensive. It's bavette et frites, the most common way that the universally beloved classic, steak and chips, is presented in France.
Bavette refers to the cut of beef—known as 'skirt steak' in Australia (it also goes by the name of 'flank steak' in some other countries) Hence the atrociously punning title (sorry!) But despite the cut's huge popularity in France, it's hardly used here, except in mince. And that's really quite weird, because skirt steak is tender, flavourful, very non-fatty, and very much cheaper than other kinds of steak, despite the fact there's not much of it on a beast(only a few kilos). I bought a 350 g piece of it at the butcher's the other day(enough for two good steaks) for only four dollars—it is only about 12 dollars a kilo, and sometimes even less, about half the price of fillet steak but with just as much juicy taste. Because it's not usually displayed in butchers' display cabinets but kept out the back for making into high-grade mince, you have to ask specifically for it.
Skirt steak or bavette has a very characteristic look, with striations in the meat and a somewhat bulky look. It needs to be pounded with a mallet to flatten it out a little and tenderise it. It should then be cooked like any other steak, how you like it(though NOT well-done, no steak should ever be well-done, in my opinion, and juicy bavette even less!) It can be served with a nice garlicky herby butter, or with Bearnaise sauce, or with the traditional 'echalotte' (shallot) sauce of shallots cut up small, simmered in butter, with a little white wine added, salt, pepper, and a little splash of white wine vinegar. Or with any other kind of sauce you fancy, and of course it should be accompanied by some good home-made thick cut chips sprinkled with garlic and parsley, and a green salad with vinaigrette. Perfect!
Bavette can also be used in all kinds of other steak dishes where you need a good, tender cut, such as beef Stroganoff. In my opinion it is the most ridiculously under-rated and best-value cut of beef around. Sample some before more people cotton on to it and it goes up in price!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

And the winner of the Mrs de Salis vintage cookbook is..

As I found it hard to choose between these two, I've decided that we should have a joint winner, and will be donating another Mrs de Salis book to this end.

First, Sheila Pegum, with
Mrs McGregor’s Fricassee of Rabbit
First catch your rabbit (Mr McGregor finds the vegetable garden a good place to start). Carefully remove waistcoats, shoes, dresses and other sundry anthropomorphic accessories from the rabbit. Set aside for the grandchildren’s dolls. (Note to self: ask the young woman at Hill Top Farm to stop dressing up the wildlife – it can’t be comfortable for the creatures and it puts Mr McGregor off his game). If the rabbit is white, it may have strayed in from the mad-house next door. Gently turn it upside down and shake, to dislodge the fob watch.
To prepare for the table:
Marinate rabbit pieces with a bouquet garni in a red wine marinade overnight.
Strain marinade and save.
Pat the rabbit pieces dry, coat in flour and brown in a frypan. Remove to one side. Gently fry one chopped onion, minced garlic to taste and two blanched, chopped rashers of bacon.
Place the rabbit pieces, onion and bacon mixture in a clean pan, pour over the strained marinade, season well and simmer for 1 hour.
Gently incorporate a flour-and-butter roux, seasoned with Dijon mustard if desired.
Serve with fresh garden vegetables and lashings of red wine, to quell the last vestiges of cloying sentimentality and debilitating guilt.

Congratulations, Sheila, for a wonderfully apt and clever literary recipe that also works well as a dish! Positively delicious in every way. Entrees a la Mode by Mrs de Salis will be on her way to you soon!

Second joint winner, is Karen S.Elliott, with:
Ishmael’s Whale Blubber Stew

Ingredients –
3 large strips whale blubber (does not have to be from a white whale)
1 lb. lard
2 onions, diced
5 cups sea water
5 lbs. potatoes, diced
12 carrots, diced
5 lbs. tomatoes, diced
Salt and Pepper
Kill whale. Slice off three strips of blubber (about the length of a peg leg). Chop into bite-sized bits. Melt lard in large skillet. Add whale meat to lard – cook until browned. Add onions - cook until onions are translucent. Set aside. In large pot, boil potatoes and carrots in sea water for 10 minutes. Dump whale meat, onions, and tomatoes into vegetable pot. Simmer for two hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

Feeds 10 hungry seamen and a bitter captain.

Great work, Karen! A suitably extreme recipe, to the big measure of Moby Dick! A copy of Mrs de Salis' Savouries A la Mode will be on its way to you shortly.

And thank you to everyone who entered, in comments and by email, and thanks too to those who posted about the comp online.

As I found it hard to choose between these two, I've decided that we should have a joint winner, and will be donating another Mrs de Salis book to this end.

First, Sheila Pegum, with
Mrs McGregor’s Fricassee of Rabbit
First catch your rabbit (Mr McGregor finds the vegetable garden a good place to start). Carefully remove waistcoats, shoes, dresses and other sundry anthropomorphic accessories from the rabbit. Set aside for the grandchildren’s dolls. (Note to self: ask the young woman at Hill Top Farm to stop dressing up the wildlife – it can’t be comfortable for the creatures and it puts Mr McGregor off his game). If the rabbit is white, it may have strayed in from the mad-house next door. Gently turn it upside down and shake, to dislodge the fob watch.
To prepare for the table:
Marinate rabbit pieces with a bouquet garni in a red wine marinade overnight.
Strain marinade and save.
Pat the rabbit pieces dry, coat in flour and brown in a frypan. Remove to one side. Gently fry one chopped onion, minced garlic to taste and two blanched, chopped rashers of bacon.
Place the rabbit pieces, onion and bacon mixture in a clean pan, pour over the strained marinade, season well and simmer for 1 hour.
Gently incorporate a flour-and-butter roux, seasoned with Dijon mustard if desired.
Serve with fresh garden vegetables and lashings of red wine, to quell the last vestiges of cloying sentimentality and debilitating guilt.

Congratulations, Sheila, for a wonderfully apt and clever literary recipe that also works well as a dish! Positively delicious in every way. Entrees a la Mode by Mrs de Salis will be on her way to you soon!

Second joint winner, is Karen S.Elliott, with:
Ishmael’s Whale Blubber Stew

Ingredients –
3 large strips whale blubber (does not have to be from a white whale)
1 lb. lard
2 onions, diced
5 cups sea water
5 lbs. potatoes, diced
12 carrots, diced
5 lbs. tomatoes, diced
Salt and Pepper
Kill whale. Slice off three strips of blubber (about the length of a peg leg). Chop into bite-sized bits. Melt lard in large skillet. Add whale meat to lard – cook until browned. Add onions - cook until onions are translucent. Set aside. In large pot, boil potatoes and carrots in sea water for 10 minutes. Dump whale meat, onions, and tomatoes into vegetable pot. Simmer for two hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

Feeds 10 hungry seamen and a bitter captain.

Great work, Karen! A suitably extreme recipe, to the big measure of Moby Dick! A copy of Mrs de Salis' Savouries A la Mode will be on its way to you shortly.

And thank you to everyone who entered, in comments and by email, and thanks too to those who posted about the comp online.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

In praise of paupiettes

I love paupiettes, those lovely little stuffed meat or fish parcels so popular in France, but which you rarely see here, so that the only way you can get them is to make them yourself! But in France you can get them pre-prepared in the markets, at the butcher's and at the traiteur (literally 'caterer', those quintessential French shops where you can buy all kinds of delicious, fresh pre-prepared dishes made on the premises by the traiteur, everything from paupiettes to pates, salads to savouries). When we were living in Paris last year, we tried out all sorts of different paupiettes from all sorts of places—sampling not only the classic veal ones but rabbit and fish and duck and guinea fowl, and featuring all kinds of stuffings from the traditional savoury pork forcemeat to leek or mushroom or seafood. And they were all absolutely delicious!
Paupiettes, for those of you who aren't clear, consist of a long thin piece of meat or fish wrapped around a central stuffing and then tied with string into a little parcel. Meat paupiettes are made with thin strips of meat, for instance veal meant for schnitzel, thinly cut chicken fillet, pork or lamb fillet etc(and I think strips of kangaroo fillet would work well too) stuffed either with mincemeat made with the same kind of meat, with herbs and seasonings added, or with a contrasting minced meat, or with a combination of minced meat and vegetable—You often see veal paupiettes, for instance, stuffed with veal or pork mince, with in the centre, leeks or mushrooms. Fish paupiettes are made with thin fish fillets(or fillets cut in half lengthways) and then stuffed with either minced fish or seafood with herbs, or with vegetables, such as leek, asparagus, spinach, etc, or a mix. You could also theoretically(though I've never tried it) make vegetarian paupiettes with long strips of roast capsicum or eggplant surrounding a stuffing of say rice, ground nuts, herbs, etc.

Though they can be fried, steamed or baked, mostly they are browned in a pan then simmered slowly in stock. They can also be cooked in special individual paupiette dishes which seal the juices right in. They are then served either with a sauce made from the cooking juices, or whatever you fancy, really, depending on what the base of your paupiette is—a hollandaise or bearnaise for white meat or fish, a 'sauce chasseur' (hunter's sauce, rich with red wine and tangy with vinegar) for game meats, a cream and mustard and lemon sauce for veal, and so on. And though they make an excellent main course(which is how they are mostly presented) they can also be excellent served cold, in slices. This looks particularly nice if you have different colours in the paupiette—for instance, if you have say spinach or leek in the middle of the forcemeat.
Paupiettes are not hard to make, and though a little fiddly in the preparation, they are fun to make as you can try out all sorts of different combinations. Here's a recipe for the great classic, paupiette de veau, which you can use as a base for all other types of paupiette:
(Proportions for 2 people) two thin veal steaks, pounded; 100 g pork or veal mince, salt, pepper, herbs(I use thyme and sage, but any combination you like is fine); 1 egg, one slice white bread soaked in milk, 50 g small fresh field mushrooms; a little butter, a little white wine, some good stock(I used French veal stock but chicken can also be used.) You will also need some plain white string. Mix the mince with the chopped herbs, salt, pepper, egg, milk-soaked bread, and some thinly chopped mushrooms(reserve the rest for sauce), work well till all incorporated. Put half of the mixture on each steak, lengthwise, and then carefully roll up the steak and tie it into a parcel with string. Some of the stuffing will burst out, just push it back in. Melt some butter in a pan, add the paupiettes, brown on each side then splash in a little white wine and then stock to go about halfway up the paupiettes. Cook for about an hour on low heat. When nearly done, slice the rest of the mushrooms, fry quickly in a little butter, and add a splash of crème de cassis or similar(you could add port or tokay or similar fortified wine instead if you like.) Add the cooking juices to the mushroom sauce and serve it on top of the paupiettes. Serve with your choice of vegs--in the one pictures, I served this dish with our own steamed Tasmanian pinkeye potatoes and romanesco(like a green cauliflower) puree.

I love paupiettes, those lovely little stuffed meat or fish parcels so popular in France, but which you rarely see here, so that the only way you can get them is to make them yourself! But in France you can get them pre-prepared in the markets, at the butcher's and at the traiteur (literally 'caterer', those quintessential French shops where you can buy all kinds of delicious, fresh pre-prepared dishes made on the premises by the traiteur, everything from paupiettes to pates, salads to savouries). When we were living in Paris last year, we tried out all sorts of different paupiettes from all sorts of places—sampling not only the classic veal ones but rabbit and fish and duck and guinea fowl, and featuring all kinds of stuffings from the traditional savoury pork forcemeat to leek or mushroom or seafood. And they were all absolutely delicious!
Paupiettes, for those of you who aren't clear, consist of a long thin piece of meat or fish wrapped around a central stuffing and then tied with string into a little parcel. Meat paupiettes are made with thin strips of meat, for instance veal meant for schnitzel, thinly cut chicken fillet, pork or lamb fillet etc(and I think strips of kangaroo fillet would work well too) stuffed either with mincemeat made with the same kind of meat, with herbs and seasonings added, or with a contrasting minced meat, or with a combination of minced meat and vegetable—You often see veal paupiettes, for instance, stuffed with veal or pork mince, with in the centre, leeks or mushrooms. Fish paupiettes are made with thin fish fillets(or fillets cut in half lengthways) and then stuffed with either minced fish or seafood with herbs, or with vegetables, such as leek, asparagus, spinach, etc, or a mix. You could also theoretically(though I've never tried it) make vegetarian paupiettes with long strips of roast capsicum or eggplant surrounding a stuffing of say rice, ground nuts, herbs, etc.

Though they can be fried, steamed or baked, mostly they are browned in a pan then simmered slowly in stock. They can also be cooked in special individual paupiette dishes which seal the juices right in. They are then served either with a sauce made from the cooking juices, or whatever you fancy, really, depending on what the base of your paupiette is—a hollandaise or bearnaise for white meat or fish, a 'sauce chasseur' (hunter's sauce, rich with red wine and tangy with vinegar) for game meats, a cream and mustard and lemon sauce for veal, and so on. And though they make an excellent main course(which is how they are mostly presented) they can also be excellent served cold, in slices. This looks particularly nice if you have different colours in the paupiette—for instance, if you have say spinach or leek in the middle of the forcemeat.
Paupiettes are not hard to make, and though a little fiddly in the preparation, they are fun to make as you can try out all sorts of different combinations. Here's a recipe for the great classic, paupiette de veau, which you can use as a base for all other types of paupiette:
(Proportions for 2 people) two thin veal steaks, pounded; 100 g pork or veal mince, salt, pepper, herbs(I use thyme and sage, but any combination you like is fine); 1 egg, one slice white bread soaked in milk, 50 g small fresh field mushrooms; a little butter, a little white wine, some good stock(I used French veal stock but chicken can also be used.) You will also need some plain white string. Mix the mince with the chopped herbs, salt, pepper, egg, milk-soaked bread, and some thinly chopped mushrooms(reserve the rest for sauce), work well till all incorporated. Put half of the mixture on each steak, lengthwise, and then carefully roll up the steak and tie it into a parcel with string. Some of the stuffing will burst out, just push it back in. Melt some butter in a pan, add the paupiettes, brown on each side then splash in a little white wine and then stock to go about halfway up the paupiettes. Cook for about an hour on low heat. When nearly done, slice the rest of the mushrooms, fry quickly in a little butter, and add a splash of crème de cassis or similar(you could add port or tokay or similar fortified wine instead if you like.) Add the cooking juices to the mushroom sauce and serve it on top of the paupiettes. Serve with your choice of vegs--in the one pictures, I served this dish with our own steamed Tasmanian pinkeye potatoes and romanesco(like a green cauliflower) puree.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Service Announcement: Kitchen Aid Food Processors Leak!!!

After years of much cheaper food processors I recently made a $600 investment with a kitchen aid food processor and discovered the hard way that they leak on the first use. So disappointing since I love my red mixer and loved that it would match. I was told from the matchbox store that you have to add the ingredients one at time and it how the bowls are stored in cupboard etc. Even the website says if leaks you should try to pulse liquids for only 1-2 seconds at time. There are no scratches/holes etc it is just a bad design. Matchbox refused to give me a refund instead offering to give me a new bowl and I'm since found out that this a regular fault: see this google search for example. Such a waste of money! I'm making a complaint to consumer affairs but wanted to share the news so others don't get stuck in the same situation.

So spread the news!

After years of much cheaper food processors I recently made a $600 investment with a kitchen aid food processor and discovered the hard way that they leak on the first use. So disappointing since I love my red mixer and loved that it would match. I was told from the matchbox store that you have to add the ingredients one at time and it how the bowls are stored in cupboard etc. Even the website says if leaks you should try to pulse liquids for only 1-2 seconds at time. There are no scratches/holes etc it is just a bad design. Matchbox refused to give me a refund instead offering to give me a new bowl and I'm since found out that this a regular fault: see this google search for example. Such a waste of money! I'm making a complaint to consumer affairs but wanted to share the news so others don't get stuck in the same situation.

So spread the news!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

US Products Which We Loved

These were only some of the products which we tried and loved there was plenty more like hemp milk (I think it was this brand) and a vegan box of chocolates from Food Fight but I forgot to take pictures of them. I also loved the crazy rumours lip balms which I've thankfully also found in Melbourne.

I tried maybe 4-5  vegan ice cream flavours, but these were the two we tried when we had an ice cream party with Susan. We each bought some ice cream and shared. They were all delicious but I'm not a huge fan of the fake cherry flavour. I can't decide if the luna and larry coconut chocolate hazelnut fudge (pictured) or the purely decadent coconut based chocolagte peanut butter swirl was my fave.

 

I really don't get why we don't have awesome vegan yogurt here when both the UK and the US can do it. I enjoyed several flavours in this coconut range (except for cherry-what is with the fake cherry flavour?):

 

Another thing that the US do well in gf cereal, these were my favourites, particuarly the maple sunrise and from memory it was pretty healthy too.


I tried 3 brands of vegan peanut butter cups but these were my fav, they were just a tad saltier which is perfect in my book. I  really need to replicate this recipe.





Other sweet treats which I loved, justin's flavoured nut butters including maple almond butter, sour gummies bars, and the whole range of eli's earth bars, and the little individual organic chocolates from sjaaks particuarly the caramel ones.

It was only the flight home that I finally tried tings and we devoured the huge bag. I had heard Mandee rave about them but had trouble finding them. I had looked in a few whole foods but couldn't find them. I eventually asked someone at wholefoods who showed me where they were hiding which was not in the chip aisle but somewhere else. They taste a lot like twisties and have nooch in them so I wish I took more packets home with us.

Only one more US post to go from Toby, can you guess what it might be on?  And that will conclude our US holiday posts. I hope I haven't bored the Australian readers with these posts.

These were only some of the products which we tried and loved there was plenty more like hemp milk (I think it was this brand) and a vegan box of chocolates from Food Fight but I forgot to take pictures of them. I also loved the crazy rumours lip balms which I've thankfully also found in Melbourne.

I tried maybe 4-5  vegan ice cream flavours, but these were the two we tried when we had an ice cream party with Susan. We each bought some ice cream and shared. They were all delicious but I'm not a huge fan of the fake cherry flavour. I can't decide if the luna and larry coconut chocolate hazelnut fudge (pictured) or the purely decadent coconut based chocolagte peanut butter swirl was my fave.

 

I really don't get why we don't have awesome vegan yogurt here when both the UK and the US can do it. I enjoyed several flavours in this coconut range (except for cherry-what is with the fake cherry flavour?):

 

Another thing that the US do well in gf cereal, these were my favourites, particuarly the maple sunrise and from memory it was pretty healthy too.


I tried 3 brands of vegan peanut butter cups but these were my fav, they were just a tad saltier which is perfect in my book. I  really need to replicate this recipe.





Other sweet treats which I loved, justin's flavoured nut butters including maple almond butter, sour gummies bars, and the whole range of eli's earth bars, and the little individual organic chocolates from sjaaks particuarly the caramel ones.

It was only the flight home that I finally tried tings and we devoured the huge bag. I had heard Mandee rave about them but had trouble finding them. I had looked in a few whole foods but couldn't find them. I eventually asked someone at wholefoods who showed me where they were hiding which was not in the chip aisle but somewhere else. They taste a lot like twisties and have nooch in them so I wish I took more packets home with us.

Only one more US post to go from Toby, can you guess what it might be on?  And that will conclude our US holiday posts. I hope I haven't bored the Australian readers with these posts.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Vegetable gems from Central France: Le Puy lentils

These are the best lentils in the world bar none, the beautiful little grey-green lentils originating in Le Puy en Velay, a gorgeous ancient town in the highlands of central France. With their nutty texture and delicious flavour, they leave every other lentil for dead, in my opinion! They were the first vegetable in France to get an AOC, or Appellation d'Origine Controlee, which means that if you grow the lentils anywhere but at Le Puy, they can't be called Le Puy lentils. (Australian-grown ones for instance are called 'Australian green lentils'--you'd think they might have been more imaginative!)
We've grown these lentils here in our garden in the Northern Tablelands of NSW(some from Le Puy lentils, some from 'Australian green lentils' from Victoria)and they've done pretty well, generally, and we've been able to get a few kilos off a not very large patch of ground. Last year however they grew beautifully at first but there was too much rain and they got waterlogged and only produced enough for a few meals as well as some seed for next year. Lentils are pretty fiddly to harvest as the pods are small and grow close to the ground and even when you are being very careful, inevitably little stones get caught up with them—because the stones are often the same slatey colour as the lentils, even when you sieve 'em several times, you don't always find them before you cook them and someone crunches down on one!
Last August we visited Le Puy itself for the first time to see the heart of lentil country, and realised that one of the reasons these little green gems grow so well in our area is that there are similar conditions climactically—with high-altitude, lots of frosts, pure air(and the Le Puy growers swear that it's not just a matter of soil but of the very air, the micro-climate, which makes these little beauties what they are.) It's a gorgeous spot, with beautiful countryside and ancient architecture, and though it guards its traditions(lentils and lace and liqueur!) jealously, it is not in the least a pretentious place.
The green lentil has been grown in Le Puy for at least 2,000 years and as you can imagine there is a very strong grower tradition in the region. Amusingly, there's also a 'Confrererie Verte' or 'Green Brotherhood' whose 'Knights' defend and maintain the tradition of Le Puy lentils. Some of France's greatest chefs, like Paul Bocuse, are 'Knights of the Green Brotherhood', complete with ceremonial costumes!
You can read more about the Confrererie and the Le Puy lentil generally at the official Le Puy growers' website: http://www.lalentillevertedupuy.com/ (there's an English translation on the site).
The green gems are lovely cooked in all sorts of ways, whether purely vegetarian or to accompany pork or lamb(as it's usually served in France.) As they cook, their colour changes from green to brown, but the nutty texture remains(as long as you don't overcook of course) Cooked and cooled, with a vinaigrette and plenty of chopped fresh herbs, they also make a great salad. You can also use them for soups if you want. They are more expensive than brown or red lentils but just so worth it—we simply don't bother with any other type of lentils these days. And because there's a fair few green lentil growers in Australia now, they're easy to find—I've even seen some recently in Coles!
Here's a simple basic recipe for cooking delicious Le Puy style lentils(proportions are for two people).Ingredients: half cup green lentils(they do not need soaking), half a chopped onion, clove garlic, olive oil, wine(red, white or rose, it's up to you), herbs(thyme, parsley), pepper, salt, stock—chicken or vegetable, up to you.
Fry the onion and garlic in some olive oil, add the lentils, stir for a few seconds, then add splash wine(any style is fine), then some pepper and salt, let simmer for a few more seconds, then add half the herbs, and then the stock to cover well. Simmer till lentils are cooked but not soft, for about 20-25 minutes(taste—they should be still nutty but not hard, and the liquid should have been almost all absorbed.) Drain, add a little extra garlic, and the rest of chopped herbs. Serve on its own for a vegetarian meal, with some plain stock-cooked Basmati rice, or with grilled sausage, roast pork, pickled pork, or lamb shanks. Last time, I also served it with a braised cabbage side—chopped cabbages cooked in a little olive oil, red wine, herbs, a little stock and a half teaspoon of tomato paste, and simmered for as long as the lentils—the cabbage does need to be very soft and to have totally absorbed its cooking juices.

These are the best lentils in the world bar none, the beautiful little grey-green lentils originating in Le Puy en Velay, a gorgeous ancient town in the highlands of central France. With their nutty texture and delicious flavour, they leave every other lentil for dead, in my opinion! They were the first vegetable in France to get an AOC, or Appellation d'Origine Controlee, which means that if you grow the lentils anywhere but at Le Puy, they can't be called Le Puy lentils. (Australian-grown ones for instance are called 'Australian green lentils'--you'd think they might have been more imaginative!)
We've grown these lentils here in our garden in the Northern Tablelands of NSW(some from Le Puy lentils, some from 'Australian green lentils' from Victoria)and they've done pretty well, generally, and we've been able to get a few kilos off a not very large patch of ground. Last year however they grew beautifully at first but there was too much rain and they got waterlogged and only produced enough for a few meals as well as some seed for next year. Lentils are pretty fiddly to harvest as the pods are small and grow close to the ground and even when you are being very careful, inevitably little stones get caught up with them—because the stones are often the same slatey colour as the lentils, even when you sieve 'em several times, you don't always find them before you cook them and someone crunches down on one!
Last August we visited Le Puy itself for the first time to see the heart of lentil country, and realised that one of the reasons these little green gems grow so well in our area is that there are similar conditions climactically—with high-altitude, lots of frosts, pure air(and the Le Puy growers swear that it's not just a matter of soil but of the very air, the micro-climate, which makes these little beauties what they are.) It's a gorgeous spot, with beautiful countryside and ancient architecture, and though it guards its traditions(lentils and lace and liqueur!) jealously, it is not in the least a pretentious place.
The green lentil has been grown in Le Puy for at least 2,000 years and as you can imagine there is a very strong grower tradition in the region. Amusingly, there's also a 'Confrererie Verte' or 'Green Brotherhood' whose 'Knights' defend and maintain the tradition of Le Puy lentils. Some of France's greatest chefs, like Paul Bocuse, are 'Knights of the Green Brotherhood', complete with ceremonial costumes!
You can read more about the Confrererie and the Le Puy lentil generally at the official Le Puy growers' website: http://www.lalentillevertedupuy.com/ (there's an English translation on the site).
The green gems are lovely cooked in all sorts of ways, whether purely vegetarian or to accompany pork or lamb(as it's usually served in France.) As they cook, their colour changes from green to brown, but the nutty texture remains(as long as you don't overcook of course) Cooked and cooled, with a vinaigrette and plenty of chopped fresh herbs, they also make a great salad. You can also use them for soups if you want. They are more expensive than brown or red lentils but just so worth it—we simply don't bother with any other type of lentils these days. And because there's a fair few green lentil growers in Australia now, they're easy to find—I've even seen some recently in Coles!
Here's a simple basic recipe for cooking delicious Le Puy style lentils(proportions are for two people).Ingredients: half cup green lentils(they do not need soaking), half a chopped onion, clove garlic, olive oil, wine(red, white or rose, it's up to you), herbs(thyme, parsley), pepper, salt, stock—chicken or vegetable, up to you.
Fry the onion and garlic in some olive oil, add the lentils, stir for a few seconds, then add splash wine(any style is fine), then some pepper and salt, let simmer for a few more seconds, then add half the herbs, and then the stock to cover well. Simmer till lentils are cooked but not soft, for about 20-25 minutes(taste—they should be still nutty but not hard, and the liquid should have been almost all absorbed.) Drain, add a little extra garlic, and the rest of chopped herbs. Serve on its own for a vegetarian meal, with some plain stock-cooked Basmati rice, or with grilled sausage, roast pork, pickled pork, or lamb shanks. Last time, I also served it with a braised cabbage side—chopped cabbages cooked in a little olive oil, red wine, herbs, a little stock and a half teaspoon of tomato paste, and simmered for as long as the lentils—the cabbage does need to be very soft and to have totally absorbed its cooking juices.

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