a smear of ash, a pinch of salt, a stick of buter: tears in my lentils

why are girls so terrible to each other? i don't think i've ever been friends with a group of girls where there hasn't been some back biting, gossip and cat fights. usually, you just move on, but sometimes it hurts terribly and becomes very damaging. the broad answer is that we're all depraved, and our insecurities and personal fears are temporarily assuaged by pointing out someone else's flaws. the relief only lasts so long, and soon we're once again pushing down our rising internal panic by talking about someone else. and so it goes.

in kansas city i have a group of friends who are committed to their faith in the Lord and try hard to love each other in a Christ-like way. a conscious effort is made to support one another in love and be discreet about what we say about someone else when that person isn't around. at least, that's how i see it. we aren't perfect, but i'd like to think we're all giving it our best effort. we have a long way to go, but who doesn't?

as long as women have been around, talking behind one another's backs and causing mischief, there have been lentils. the lentil is a legume that originated in the middle east. it's still used there as a staple in many dishes, and for all it's fiber and protein, it's really quite simple. lentils come in green, yellow, red, brown and black varieties, but very rarely would you ever see someone eating a bowl of plain lentils, the way one might eat rice. they're always simmered down, seasoned up, and served with another dish.

while i was preparing my lentil soup this week, something about the way the dish was coming together convinced me i needed to share it with my friends. the lentil is not really date food. it's a stressed-out-from-work, worried-about-the-future, need-to-pray-about-this with my friends over big bowls of soup and crusty bread type dish.

so that's exactly what i did. as everyone congregated in my dining room, each anxious and worried about something different, we vented a little and cried a lot, but after we prayed and started eating, some of the stress fell away and we were left with a table full of giggling girls and a big pot of soup.



lentil and green collard soup
feeds about 6, with leftovers
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely diced
several cloves of garlic,minced
2 cups of red lentils
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
6 cups water
a large bunch of collard greens, cleaned, stemmed and thinly sliced
lemon juice, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

soak your lentils in cold water for 20 minutes. while they're soaking, pour 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and then sautee the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent. drain your lentils and add them to the onion and garlic. add the cumin, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste, and sautee for about 4 minutes. add the stock and water and bring to a boil over high heat. when it's boiled, lower the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. while it's simmering, in a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat and sautee the collard greens with salt and pepper until they're wilted, about 10 minutes. add them to the pot and simmer the soup for about 10 more minutes. add the lemon juice to brighten the flavor. serve with Parmesan cheese.