SOMETHING SAVOURY

For all intents and purposes, summer has come to an end and a new routine is on its way. However, the intense heat of summer lingers on, with no end in sight.

The wistful clouds, set against a background of various shades of pink and orange, took over this evening, if only for a brief while. The wind came as well, but the rain held out. Nonetheless, I yearned for a taste of autumn. For something savoury. With that in mind, I turned to a spicy lentil soup for dinner tonight.

I chopped an onion, five garlic cloves, two celery stalks, and half of a somewhat wrinkled red bell pepper. I also used the last two carrots, the only ones that were not wilted in the vegetable drawer at the bottom of the refrigerator.

Seeing how that drawer consistently froze and everything in it expired quicker than usual, I decided to toss the few remaining items and washed the drawer. Then, I decided to use that drawer for the dried polenta, wheat farina, and the two packages of Medjool dates.

After sautéing the onions in olive oil, and then adding the rest of the vegetables, I put in 300 grams of Spanish lentils. To that, I added a few fresh sprigs of oregano and thyme, sea salt, one dried spicy pepper, and two liters of water. All of these ingredients cooked together on medium heat for about two hours.

We set the table outside and admired the slightly cooler temperatures. Along with the soup, we had flour tortillas and a smoky Red Leicester cheese.

Autumn baking will soon be on its way, but tonight we enjoyed a savoury option. I look forward to cooler evenings with more soups and stews and spice-filled autumn treats made with the classic cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.