The Empty Freezer! Lentil Soup Time

I guess there comes a time in the life of every deerslayer’s wife when she wanders up to the freezer, the bastion of sustenance for her family and gazes upon the vast emptiness in dismay. The question of what to have for dinner is usually only as far away as an arm’s reach into the depths of the freezer. For the first time in my married life, our well-spring has run dry. In my exuberance, I cooked up every last morsel of gamey goodness, not frugally and carefully rationing it out prior to the onset of the next season. There IS whitewing dove. Lots and lots of it. But none of the 4-legged yumminess that I need for most of my recipes that I want to prepare and share with you. I’m dying to prepare the Guinness Stew, Venison Parmesan, Venison Marsala, and so many others. You’ll just have to wait. I’m also very eager to prepare my wild pork recipes. Wild Pork Enchiladas with Creamy Poblano Sauce, Wild Pork Roast, Wild Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Once again, you’ll just have to wait.

This entry is about what the deerslayer’s wife must do when the freezer is empty. I haven’t bought meat at a grocer for so long that I just wandered around for quite a while before blindly picking up some tenderized steaks to substitute into some of my venison recipes. It was very sad.

Going through my recipe pile, (and, yes, it is a stained, spotted, well-loved pile), I found a recipe that I think you might enjoy. It’s for lentil soup and is very dear to my heart. You see, I got this meatless (but very hearty) recipe from my friends at the Carmelite Hermitage near Christoval, Texas. http://www.carmelitehermits.org. They are a group of men who devote their lives to God, supporting themselves by growing their own food and by selling wonderful baked goods, fudges and candies. Their goods are available for sale at their website and certainly worth a look. The treats make wonderful gifts. Check them out and check out this great recipe.

Lentil Soup

olive oil                                   1/2 bunch greens, chopped w/stems removed

1 onion, chopped                     2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced             1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup lentils                       1 red potato, small cubed

2-3 qts. chicken stock              1 cup tomato sauce

1 celery stalk, finely chopped     salt and pepper to taste

Pour olive oil into a soup pot and gently saute the onion. Add garlic and continue to saute for 2 minutes.
Wash and rinse lentils and add them to the soup pot. Add the stock, cut vegetables, and the rest of the ingredients (except salt & pepper). Bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 1 hour.
Add salt and pepper and simmer for a short while longer. Remove bay leaves. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.

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