French Green Lentils with Sausages

OK, I know that we're well into Spring. And food bloggers everywhere are posting wonderful seasonal dishes, featuring things like fresh green peas, strawberries, and asparagus. But here at The Dogs Eat the Crumbs Headquarters, we operate a little differently. Namely with a severe posting backlog. Say, a 50+ post backlog. There are a bunch of things that I've cooked that I either need to post out of season or hold until the appropriate season comes back around. I'm doing my share of carrying over posts (one for summer squash has been in the "drafts" collection since, well, last summer, and I have some Christmas posts that may have to wait until the next time the holidays roll around). But I've got a recipe or two for dried beans/lentils that are are likely to sneak their way into this blog in the very near future. Pantry staples are seasonless, right? Plus, the recipes are just too yummy to wait!

From the minute I saw this recipe for Sausages with French Green Lentils on the Saveur website, I knew I would have to make the dish. Although the French make this recipe with a traditional French pork sausage (read: "hard to find"), Saveur assures us that sweet Italian sausage is a fine substitute. I ordered some fresh sweet pork sausage from the farm box, and picked up some green lentils at Whole Foods. Finally I had the ingredients in place!

This was a difficult dish to photograph, especially since we were hungry and ready to eat it!

n.o.e.'s notes:

- I increased the recipe because I had 1 lb of lentils and the recipe calls for 12 oz.

- The Farm Box sausage turned out to be a very mildly seasoned sausage.

the verdict:

The subtle and perfectly balanced flavors of this dish surpassed my very high expectations, and won highest ratings from my husband. Although we typically love our food good and spicy, the mild nature of this sausage paired perfectly with the sublime seasoning of the lentils.

I loved this so much that when we were done eating I had the strongest feeling that I needed to call someone or email, or, heck even shout from the rooftop to say: "People, you HAVE to make this dish!" The lentils are cooked and seasoned perfectly. They do pair well with the sausage, but could easily stand on their own. Oh, and the leftovers were delicious - and they freeze well.

So, here's the deal. If you like lentils at all, do yourself a favor and try this dish. If you've ever wondered about lentils, this is the recipe to start with. If sausages are not your thing, you can (and should) still make the lentils. If you like things a bit spicier, you could pair the lentils with other sausages or meat. Hmm, what else? If you don't think you'll make lentils until cold weather returns, bookmark this recipe and make it later! You will thank me.