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Lentil and Tomato Dip, and a bit of history
I often fix appetizers
for my daughter Maria’s pottery shows, at which it’s customary to offer light
food for visitors to the gallery. A while back I started using lentils in some
of these dishes, for a reason that is not at first obvious.
Lentils are one of the
earliest crops in human cultivation, at least in the Fertile Crescent. They
were so important a part of human cultivation and nutrition that they even play
an important role in Genesis, which metaphorically recapitulates human history.
Esau, the elder son of Isaac,
and heir to the patrimony of Isaac and Issac’s father Abraham, was the hunter.
The younger son, actually Esau’s fraternal twin, Jacob, was the farmer. Thus
the twin brothers symbolize the hunter-gatherer vs farmer dichotomy of the
Neolithic period of human development. Esau had been unsuccessful in hunting at
one point and, starving, implored Jacob to give him some lentils to eat (they
were apparently red lentils). Jacob forced a hard bargain on his twin brother
and traded Esau a pot of lentils for the family birthright. Thus for a pot of
lentils, Israel became the House of Jacob rather than the rightful House of
Esau. The ethics of this bargain I’ll leave to rabbinical scholars. I’m
primarily interested in the scriptural references to pottery and lentils.
Pots in which to actually
boil lentils only became available with the advent of terra cotta pottery in
the late Neolithic period. Prior to that technological advance lentils were
more marginal, needing to be ground and fried as a bread or cake on a hot stone
griddle. Thus pottery enhanced lentils’ usefulness to human nutrition and
survival, and lentils in need of cooking enhanced pottery’s practical value.
Lentils and terra cotta pottery thus co-evolved and helped spur the Neolithic agricultural
explosion.
Of course, the other
reasons I do lentil-based appetizers for Maria’s shows is that they are
suitable for vegetarian eating, which is common in the circles that frequent
pottery and art gatherings, they are quick to cook, and they are as economical
as they are nutritious. And I love the taste, if not the dull appearance, of
lentils.
Here’s a lentil dip I
made recently for one of Maria’s events, though this was a birthday gathering
rather than a pottery exhibit. Garnishes improve the visuals of a lentil dish.
The recipe serves 10 or more
as part of an appetizer selection, with somewhat over a quart of dip. Offer
lightly salted crackers or chips for serving.
2 cups split red lentils
(available at many supermarkets and natural food stores)
6 tablespoons sun-dried
tomatoes, chopped finely
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) red
wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
(store the rest frozen in a zip-lock plastic bag for other use)
1 teaspoon salt, plus
more to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup sour cream
Finely chopped parsley
for garnish
Rinse the lentils several
time in cool water and drain. Soak them in a cooking pot with water to cover
them by half an inch and let them sit for half an hour or more. In a small
bowl, mix finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes with wine, and allow to marinate,
stirring from time to time.
Place pot with lentils
and their soaking water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer the lentils,
stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot (they tend to stick),
adding small quantities of water to keep lentils moist, with the water level
just below the surface of the lentils.
When lentils become
tender (15-20 minutes) add the marinated dried tomatoes plus any juices, the
tomato paste, salt, and dry spices. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom of the
pot, and simmer until lentils are fully tender but still intact.
Remove from heat and stir
in sour cream. Taste and add a little salt if needed. Let cool.
Serve in a shallow bowl.
Dust with finely chopped parsley. Accompany with low-salt crackers or chips.
