Lentils with Wine-Glazed Vegetables

As promised - the Deborah Madison lentil recipe. They're the ones you see on the table in the background of this post, a recipe I know by heart. These simple, wine-glazed lentils saw me through my twenties, and then my thirties. I made them often in my first solo apartment in San Francisco. And, because they travel well, they've kept me well-fed on a range of flights - Dar es Salaam and Bangkok included. When asked to call out one favorite recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - this was the recipe I chose.

I go the butter / tarragon route (as opposed to olive oil / parsley), and always use either French or Umbrian green lentils. Deborah calls for red wine, but I sometimes do white (whatever is open, really), and I've even swapped in Belgian ale on occasion. What I mean is, red is best, but don't be discouraged if you don't have a bottle open or on hand - use what you've got.

Lastly, a quick heads up, for those of you who are honey enthusiasts - these massive jars of olive blossom honey are all labeled and ready to make their way to new homes - it's thick and gorgeous with notes of candy corn and dried apricot. Special stuff. xo -h