Highland’s Garden Cafe chef/owner Patricia Perry created this recipe for a Y2K challenge. Spam alternative: prosciutto, pancetta or bacon.
Ingredients
2 cups dried lentils
4 to 6 cups chicken stock from can or carton
2 bay leaves
Pinch dry thyme
Pinch dry basil
Pinch dry rosemary
1 small can chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup roasted red peppers from jar, chopped
1/2 cup artichoke hearts from can, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
1/4 cup green olives, chopped
1/4 cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic (roasted if you wish), minced
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 can Spam
Directions
In a large pot, bring lentils in chicken stock to a boil, beginning with four cups of stock and adding more if lentils absorb the liquid too quickly. Add bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and basil. Reduce to simmer and cook 30-40 minutes until al dente. Stir in chopped tomatoes. Set aside.
Dice Spam into small pieces. Heat pan until very hot, and quickly sauté Spam. Set aside.
After chopping red peppers, artichokes, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, toss in bowl with capers and olive oil. Serve lentils and tapenade on plate as a bed for crisps of Spam.
Wine ideas: You could be fashionably ironic — and enjoy a delicious match — by pairing this Spammed country French dish with a fancy Rhône wine (say, Delas Frères Hermitage). Or go for a raspberry-juicy Beaujolias, such as Georges Dubouef’s Moulin-à-Vent Domaine des Rosiers for $15. — Tara Q. Thomas
