Directions

Thoroughly wash the chard leaves in a few changes of cold water. Remove washed leaves to a colander and vigorously shake dry. Strip the leaves off the stems and separate them. Roll the washed leaves into small bundles and rough chop. Set aside the leaves in a bowl; you should

have 5-6 cups of chopped chard. Trim the stems; that is, save the thicker ends that look more like celery stalks. Chop about 6-8 pieces of thicker chard stems into small dice and set aside. Peel and thinly slice and/or chop the garlic and set aside. Wash and dry the rhubarb stalk(s). Slice into ¼-inch strips and then cut these strips across into ¼-inch diced pieces. Set aside. Slice each apricot into 3-4 strips and then cut the strips into small, diced pieces. Set aside.

Next, cook the lentils. Wash the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and add to a pot. Cover with cold water. Add 1-2 bay leaves and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Bring the pot to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook partially covered, stirring often until lentils are just tender. Don’t overcook. The lentils still should have some ‘bite’/texture to them. Depending on the age (dryness) and size/type of lentil they should take about 20-30 minutes to cook. Drain when tender and spread out on a sheet pan to cool slightly. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Taste and season with kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to your liking.

Cook the chard:

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep sauté or casserole pan over medium heat. When the oil just begins to shimmer, add the onions and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to become translucent. Add the chard stems and the garlic. Add another pinch of salt. Cover the pan and lower the heat and cook until completely softened, about 5 minutes more. Remove cover and add the diced rhubarb and the dried apricots. Stir to combine. Cook covered for another 5 minutes at low heat. Remove cover and

stir in the chopped chard. Add a bit more salt. (Note that I have lightly seasoned the veggie mix at each step of the cooking process. This is ‘professional’ seasoning; seasoning lightly at each step of the cooking process.) Cook, uncovered until chard is wilted and softened. Add the

ground coriander seed. Taste and add more salt and fresh ground pepper to your liking. Add the chopped fresh parsley and dill, if using. Set aside to cool for about ten minutes. Mix in the drained lentils. Mix gently; you don’t want to ‘mush’ the lentils.

To serve: I ate this at room temperature with salad greens and a piece of cooked salmon. It would also be delicious with sliced roasted chicken or with scrambled eggs. A bowl of these lentils warmed up and eaten with a dollop of yogurt would be delicious, and……why not try

‘lentil toast’?