The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, published by Penguin/NAL. Molly’s short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine since 1990. After twenty years in northeast Tennessee, Molly lives with her family in Champaign, Illinois.
Take it away, Molly!
***
A Lentil Salad to
Make You Stand Up and Cheer
If you’re old
enough to remember lentil salads of the health-conscious 70s, 80s, and 90s,
then you’re probably backing away from this blog right now. The lentil salads I
remember from that era were so . . . well-intentioned. People were on the right
track, but it was a narrow track that didn’t go anywhere exciting. That’s
always bothered me, because I like lentils. I love the peppery smell when
they’re simmering on the stove. For years I’ve felt sure that someone,
somewhere, could lift lentil salad out
of the doldrums.
Enter Melody
Gresham, owner of Mel’s on Main, the best (the only) café in Blue Plum
Tennessee in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries. Mel tackled the problem of the
namby-pamby lentil salad the way she tackles any difficult problem – with her
spiked hair rampant and chef’s knife in hand. The lentil salad Mel wrestled to
the ground is full of bright flavors and a toothsome mix of textures. Her salad
makes a great main course for vegetarians and can be vegan if you omit the feta
cheese. Mel took on the lentil salad and she won. And although you can’t go to
Mel’s on Main to give it a try, you can make her salad easily enough at home.
Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups brown or
green lentils
2 small waxy
potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
3 ½ tablespoons
olive oil
Half a medium
cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
6 radishes,
sliced in thin rounds
Half a small red
onion, finely diced (½ to ¾ cup)
Large handful of
fresh mint leaves, chopped
Large handful of
fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
(1 ½ tablespoons)
½ cup crumbled
feta cheese
Salt
Black pepper
2 avocados, cubed
or sliced
Rinse the lentils
and put them in a saucepan with enough water to cover them by several inches.
Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, but not falling apart, about 20
minutes. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool.
Put the potatoes
on a rimmed backing sheet, drizzle with ½ tablespoon of the olive oil, and
sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven until tender and beginning to brown,
about 20 minutes. Cool.
Combine the
cooled lentils, potatoes, cucumber, radishes, onion, mint, parsley, and feta in
a salad bowl. Add the lime juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1teaspoon salt
and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Toss well. Top with avocado and serve.
Do you have
memories of lackluster health foods from years gone by? Can you think of a
recipe you’d like Mel to tackle and give more punch? Leave your answer – and
your email – in a comment for a chance to win a copy of one of the Haunted Yarn
Shop Mysteries. Each book has two recipes and a knitting pattern.
You can find out
more about Molly at www.mollymacrae.com.
You can find her blogging on the first www.amyalessio.com and on the 23rd
of each month at www.killercharacters.com.
Monday of each month at 
