The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Leaves are changing colors and fluttering down off the trees; the smell of wood smoke is in the air, sweaters and boots are being pulled out of storage at record pace. These first cold snaps of autumn make me yearn for comfort food; longings for the richer foods that speak of a rustic coun­tryside full of the flavors and fall staples of which lentilles du puy immediately spring to mind.

The little green lentils are kind of a magic bean. They are hearty, flavorful and as mentioned above, loaded with things that are good for you. They are also really easy to work with and make the dish Sausages with Green Lentils one of those perfect and easy cool weather meals that you'll go back to year after year. It's best to buy them in the bulk section of your market - Andy's down in College place always has them - and have a big jar on hand because much like rice, you can create a huge array of great dishes with them - not just the classic sausage recipe below.

Traditionally, this recipe calls for lamb sausage known as Merguez, or the pork-based Saucisse d'Auvergne but these are hard to come by around these parts so I use sweet Italian sau­sage which works well as a substitute. So here's what you need:

6 slices hickory smoked bacon

1 small white onion - small dice

2 medium carrots - small dice + another one same prep setaside

2 stalks celery - small dice + another 2 same prep set aside

A thin handful of trimmed flat leaf parsley

3 bay leaves

½ teaspoon thyme

1.5 cups small green lentils

1 cup dry white wine

8 - 10 sweet Italian sausages (though you can use hot/spicy ifyou prefer)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon coarse mustard

Coarse salt and fresh ground white pepper to taste

2 cups vegetable stock/bouillon

Cheesecloth

Method:

Cook bacon in a large soup pot with a heavy bottom on medium high just until fat has rendered (5 minutes give or take.) Meanwhile use the cheesecloth and wrap up the onion, 2 carrots and 2 stalks celery with parsley, thyme and bay leaves and tie up in a loose bundle. Add the lentils plus 5.5 cups water and the cheesecloth bundle. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to a simmer until lentils are tender - about an hour. When lentils are tender take the cheesecloth pouch out, add in the mustard and vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover and set aside. Lentils, like starches, keep warm easily on their own for quite a while.

When you have about 15 minutes left on the lentils bring the sausages, wine and veggie broth to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Turn the sausages regularly over 15 minutes. Drain the remaining liquid and add about a tablespoon of good olive oil. Sautee the sausages so the casings brown up.

Just before the sausages are done add in the remaining diced raw carrot and celery to the lentils and allow the lentils to bring them up to temperature. To plate, put two large scoops of the lentils onto a plate and two sausages per person over the top. I like to have some Dijon mustard mixed with fresh lemon zest on the side as a dip - it goes really well with both the sausages and lentils. Toss a dash of fine chopped parsley on top and you've got yourself a fantastic autumn dish!

This seems involved but it is really easy and a dish that will become an autumn favorite - guaranteed. Sante!