Happy Friday! It seems like a while since I’ve posted here. I missed the last Cook the Book Fridays post, not because I didn’t make the recipe, but rather I just didn’t get to writing it. I will be doing a double post today to make up for it.
This week’s recipe was Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts. First, a confession: I am not drawn to lentil salads. I do not get them at restaurants or salad bars, and I would not have made this recipe if not for CtBF. It’s not that I don’t like lentils, I just tend to pick other things instead.
To make Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts, the lentils are cooked with a bay leaf and fresh thyme. I liked that carrots, red onion, and celery were added in the last 5 – 10 minutes; it left the veggies with a little bite. While warm, the drained lentils are tossed with a vinaigrette. After cooling to room temperature, parsley, nuts (I used pecans instead of walnuts), and goat cheese are added to the mix.
This salad exceeded my expectations and was wonderful! The combination of flavors and textures was perfect. I especially loved the bites with a burst of cool, creamy goat cheese. This is the perfect example of why I enjoy participating in Cook the Book Fridays. There are always good surprises!
A few weeks ago we made Hummus. I enjoy homemade hummus and yet I rarely make it. I wonder why? It’s so easy and so much better than store bought. This recipe was an excellent one, and I loved the ideas for garnishing the bowl for serving.
I made this Hummus over Memorial Day Weekend. It was intended to go on a picnic lunch with us, but the picnic never happened. Instead we ate it for lunch in the back yard on a lovely, sunny day. It was perfect!
This post participates in Cook the Book Fridays. We do not share the recipes. Instead you can find them in David Lebovitz’s book My Paris Kitchen.
From Scratch 
Your dishes look wonderful! I’m having a hard time keeping up, though you are so right! The recipes are delicious and I miss checking in with my blogging friends!
I’m going to try to get both of these done this week. Both look so yummy!!
I made the hummus on time and didn’t write it up until today too. I agree that the hummus was an excellent version, especially the garnishes. I am a fan of lentil salads, so this one didn’t disappoint. I’m glad that you were unexpectedly surprised you liked it.
Both dishes turned out beautifully! The hummus with the garnishes and the fresh vegetables are excellent. I made hummus pancakes ala Dorie with the balance of my hummus!
These two dishes do go well together well as sides for more than a weekday meal. I agree with you that the lentil salad exceeds my expectation. I would be making lentils more with this recipe.
These were both delicious recipes as far as I’m concerned. I’m not into lentils at all, too mushy, but these French lentils are something else, even though I did not use the Le Puy brand. The hummus was so good that when I made it, I was glad that I had Tricia and her husband for dinner so they could both enjoy it.
Haha! All of us said we rarely make hummus at home and wonder why! I loved both of these recipes too!
Karen, you know I feel the very same way. In FFwD I made recipes I never would have tried. Now, in CtBF it’s the very same song. Cooking with a group and especially with these cookbooks we have chosen has encouraged me to “branch” out. I am glad you liked the hummus. Probably both of us will always go with the homemade version. Like you, I was never a lentil salad fan for no reason other than it’s not a particularly pretty salad and I knew I liked other salads better. I made this salad Sunday and served it at a Monday luncheon. Loved it as did my guest and will write about it for our upcoming Friday post. I am glad that we both have been forced to cook outside our comfort zones, aren’t you? Good for us and good for your husband and that sweet little girl (who isn’t so little anymore) to try new things also.