Rock the Casbah

so, tonight we tried something a little bit different, a little bit experimental, for dinner. drawing very loosely from heidi swanson's vegetarian split pea soup and more closely though still with significant variation from yotam ottolenghi's lentils with roasted tomatoes, marinated onions, and creamy cheese (adapted at turntable kitchen).

i would call this a success. in the future (the FU-ture, the FU-ture, the FU-ture) i would experiment with other types of roast veg and even different starchy bases. the general layering and especially the vinaigrette are killer and well worth repeating. 

so, here it is.

Split Peas, Roasted Vegetables, and Creamy Goat Cheese

serves, like, a ton of people—maybe 8 as a side? more?

Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash, 1" dice

2 large onions, one in 1" dice, the other chopped

5 large garlic cloves, trimmed and peeled, but left whole

4 stalks fresh thyme

extra-virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 cups dried split peas, picked over for stones and rinsed clean

4+ cups water

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (or 3 tablespoons dried)

creamy goat cheese (I used chevre)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 420^F. On a large, rimmed baking tray, toss the squash, first onion, 4 garlic cloves, and thyme with a few tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, seasoning liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool. 
2. Place the sliced red onion in a shallow, wide dish, and drizzle with the vinegar. Season with salt. Mix, and allow to marinate. 
3. In a large pot, saute the second onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and 4 cups of water, and bring to the boil, skimming foam from the surface when necessary. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed. 
4. Drain the lentils, reserving the water, and place the lentils in a large mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, the fifth smashed garlic clove, and the red onions with marinade. Allow to cool slightly. Mix in the parsley and dill, and taste for seasonings, correcting with additional salt, pepper, and olive oil as necessary. 
5. In the pot used to cook the lentils, simmer the reserved lentil water over medium-high heat with 1/4 cup olive oil, a liberal sprinkling of salt, and a liberal sprinkling of smoked paprika. Whisk until reduced by half, approximately 3 minutes.
6. Dish the lentil mixture onto a large platter, placing slices of the goat cheese on top. Ladle the roasted vegetables over the top. Drizzle the paprika oil over the top. Serve.

NOTES: I think adding the freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest of one lemon to the lentils would be an amazing addition. And cooking the lentils in stock would amp up the awesome. I'm going to try this over couscous and quinoa next. Enjoy!

inspiration pics