Recipe 48: Lentils with Wine-Glazed Winter Vegetables

Today's recipe was a big first.  This is the first time I've ever encountered the weirdest looking vegetable in all the vegetable lands (or at least top ten):  the uber fug celery root. 

The scourge of my vegetable drawer meets its match.

Doesn't it look a bit like the trolls from Ernest Scared Stupid?  Proceed with caution, this movie terrified me as a child.  

Isn't it terrifying?  Every time I peeked at it in the vegetable drawer, I kept worrying that my celery root would have turned into that guy and shanked me with a carrot spear or something.  I have a very active imagination.  Even after I peeled it, it still looked crazy!  I had to chop it into small cubes to feel good about it not turning into a murderous troll. 

In which I crush the spirit of my celery root.

As per usual, I digress.  As fug as the celery root was, this recipe caught my eye because it has two things I love, red wine and dijon mustard.  Also, I'm a sucker for roasted vegetables.  And now troll-like vegetables.  This recipe is not pretty.  In fact, it has the same coloring as our friend, Mr. Troll.  But gosh darn it, it is delish and easy to make.  In a departure from almost every other recipe I've made in Blue, this one actually makes the four servings it claims to.  Enjoy this recipe with some nice crusty bread and a side salad.  

Lentils with Wine Glazed Winter Vegetables
(via MyRecipes, from Cooking Light)

Lentils with Wine-Glazed Winter Vegetables

Ingredients:

3  cups  water

1 1/2  cups  dried lentils

1  teaspoon  salt, divided

1  bay leaf

1 1/2  teaspoons  olive oil

2  cups  chopped onion

1 1/2  cups  chopped peeled celeriac (celery root)

1  cup  diced parsnip

1  cup  diced carrot

1  tablespoon  minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, divided

1  tablespoon  tomato paste

1  garlic clove, minced

2/3  cup  dry red wine

2  teaspoons  Dijon mustard

1  tablespoon  butter

1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine water, lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Remove lentils from heat, and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a medium cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the onion, celeriac, parsnip, carrot, and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon, and sauté 10 minutes or until browned. You can now breath easy; your celery root is officially dead and should look something like this: 

The only good celery root is a dead celery root.

5. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomato paste, and garlic; cook mixture 1 minute.
6. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
7. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in mustard.
8. Add lentil mixture, and cook 2 minutes.
9. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf, and stir in butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon, and pepper.
10.  Eat with some bread!  I strongly recommend the Sesame Garlic Rolls from When Pigs Fly Bakery for this and for life in general.  I'm drooling right now.