Honeyed Carrots and Oranges

Serves 8

2 pounds very small carrots, scrubbed; or regular carrots--trimmed, peeled, and cut into thin sticks 

1 orange, cut into 8 pieces 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons small dill sprigs

Heat oven to 375° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots and orange with the oil, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the dill.

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Roast Potatoes, Parsnips, and Carrots

Serves 6

1.2 kg potatoes
6 parsnips
6 carrots
1 bulb garlic
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
To prepare your vegetables:
If you're cooking these separately and not as with my perfect roast chicken, preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Peel the vegetables and halve any larger ones lengthways. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled, and bash them slightly with the palm of your hand. Pick the rosemary leaves from the woody stalks.
To cook your vegetables:
Put the potatoes and carrots into a large pan – you may need to use two – of salted, boiling water on a high heat and bring back to the boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then add the parsnips and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and allow to steam dry. Take out the carrots and parsnips and put to one side. Fluff up the potatoes in the colander by shaking it around a little – it's important to 'chuff them up' like this if you want them to have all those lovely crispy bits when they're cooked.
Put a large roasting tray over a medium heat and either add a few generous lugs of olive oil or carefully spoon a little of the fat from the meat you're cooking. Add the garlic and rosemary leaves. Put the vegetables into the tray with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir them around to coat them in the flavours. Spread them out evenly into one layer – this is important, as you want them to roast, not steam as they will if you have them all on top of each other. Put them into the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until golden, crisp and lovely. Serve immediately, with your roast dinner and your gravy.

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Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

Serves 4

2 pounds parsnips, peeled
1 pound carrots, unpeeled
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. If the parsnips and carrots are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each diagonally in 1-inch-thick slices. The vegetables will shrink while cooking, so don't make the pieces too small. Place the cut vegetables on a sheet pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss well. Roast for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, tossing occasionally, until the parsnips and carrots are just tender. Sprinkle with dill and serve hot.

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Honey-Glazed Carrots with Green Onions

Serves 2-4

1 lb baby carrots (think 1-2 bites, leave the skinny parts whole, halve or quarter fat ones) or 1 lb carrot, peeled, washed, and sliced into sticks about the size of baby carrots 
2 tablespoons butter
1 large garlic clove, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons honey 
salt and pepper
1/4 cup green onion tops, cut small (about 3-4 green onions once you discard the very tops and the white parts) or 1 tablespoon dried chives
Salt a large saucepan full of water and bring to a rapid boil. Add carrots and boil 5-7 minutes, until tender. Drain. In a large skillet or saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove garlic and discard. Add the honey, stirring to blend. Add carrots and salt and pepper to taste (it doesn't need much, a few shakes should do it). Stir around until carrots are coated. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, until carrots begin to brown. (You may need to increase heat to medium-high on some stoves.) Pour carrots and all the "juices" into a serving bowl. Add green onions and toss.
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Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Serves 4
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 leeks, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (white and light green parts only)
3/4 cup dried yellow or red lentils
1 4 -inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 teaspoon curry powder
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving (optional)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Combine the sweet potato, carrots, celery, leeks, lentils, ginger, 3/4 teaspoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add 6 cups water and stir, then cover and cook on low, undisturbed, 8 hours. Stir the soup vigorously with a whisk to make a rough puree. Thin with hot water, if desired. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook until the curry powder is slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir the curry mixture into the soup and add the lemon juice, cilantro, and salt to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.
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Stir-Fried Brown Rice with Chard and Carrots

Serves 6
A lush bunch of red Swiss chard that I got at the farmers’ market was the inspiration for this stir-fry. The stems, which stay nice and crunchy, are an important ingredient in the stir-fry, so look for chard with nice wide ribs.
1 generous bunch of red chard (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), stemmed and washed well in 2 changes of water (retain the stems)
2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic (to taste)
2 to 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (to taste)
2 eggs
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, rice bran or grape seed oil
1 medium carrot, cut in 2-inch julienne
1 bunch scallions, sliced, dark green parts separated
4 cups cooked brown rice, either chilled or at room temperature
1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Dice the thick part of the red chard stems (discard the stringier, tapering part of the stems); you should have 1 to 1 1/2 cups diced stems. Stack leaves and cut in slivers, or coarsely chop. You should have about 8 cups (the leaves will lose a lot of volume when they wilt in the stir-fry). Combine garlic and ginger in a small bowl or ramekin and place near your wok. Beat eggs in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Prepare the other ingredients and place in separate bowls within arm’s reach of your wok. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 2 teaspoons of oil by adding it to the sides of the wok and swirling the wok. Make sure that the bottom of the wok or pan is coated with oil and add eggs, swirling the wok or pan so that the eggs form a thin pancake. Cook 30 – 60 seconds, until set. Using a spatula, turn pancake over and cook for 5 to 10 more seconds, until thoroughly set, then transfer to a plate or cutting board and quickly cut into strips, using the edge of your spatula or a knife.
Swirl in remaining oil and add garlic and ginger. Stir-fry no more than 10 seconds and add chard stems and carrots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender, and add light part of the scallions and chard leaves. Stir-fry until leaves wilt, 1 to 2 minutes, and add rice. Stir-fry, scooping up the rice with your spatula then pressing it into the hot wok or pan and scooping it up again, for about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, dark green part of the scallions, eggs and cilantro, stir-fry for about 30 seconds, remove from heat and serve.
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Kale Market salad

Serves 2-4
Lacinato kale is my variety of choice here.
Green Garlic Dressing:
2 stalks green garlic (or scallions), rinsed and chopped (~1/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons ripe avocado
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
fresh pepper to taste
Salad:
1/2 bunch kale, destemmed, torn into pieces
1 cup / 5.5 oz cooked farro or wheat berries (semi-pearled or whole)
4-5 farmers’ market carrots, very thinly sliced
1 small bulb of fennel, transparently sliced
1 avocado, cut into small cubes
A big handful of almond slices, toasted
Make the dressing by using a hand blender or food processor to puree the green garlic, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, avocado, honey, and pepper until smooth. Taste, and adjust with more salt, or honey, or lemon juice.
Before you’re ready to serve, combine the kale with about half of the dressing in a large bowl use your hands to work the dressing into the kale, softening up the kale a bit in the process. Add the farro, carrots, and fennel, more dressing, and a couple pinches of salt, and toss again. Taste, and add the last of the dressing if needed. This is a salad I like quite heavily dressed. Add the avocados and almonds and give one last gentle toss.

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Spring Rolls

1 package extra thin rice paper wrappers (dozens are in a package)
1 package vermicelli (thin rice noodles) 
2+ carrots- peeled and sliced into 1+inch long, thin strips
2+celery stalks- ends and strings removed and sliced into 1+inch long, thin strips
1 cucumber- peeled, ends removed, cut down center, seeds removed and sliced into 1+inch long, thin strips
2 small zucchini- skins removed, ends removed, cut down center and into 1+inch long, thin strips
4-6 green onions- ends removed and cut into 1+inch long, thin strips
1-2 green leaf lettuce leaves per roll
1 cup spinach- washed/dried and stems removed
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 avocado- cut lengthwise, seed removed, scooped out and cut into slivers
1/4+ cup flat leaf parsley- washed and stems removed
1/4+ cup fresh basil leaves
1/4+  cup fresh mint leaves
1/8+ cup fresh dill
dozen+ nasturtium flowers- washed and cut in half
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and place the vermicelli (thin rice noodles) into a pot of boiling water. Turn stove off and let noodles sit in pot of hot water with covered lid for almost five minutes (until soft), and then, drain water from noodles. Have all of your ingredients prepped and at hand ready to use. Sit down with a bowl of water and spread out a damp, cotton cloth and get ready to roll. Remember that whatever is pressing against the rice paper will show, so if you are going to use eatable flowers, place them first on the rice paper. Begin by submerging the rice paper into the bowl of water and remove, holing it allowing all excess water to drip off. Then, lay the moist rice paper onto the damp cloth and begin placing ingredients toward bottom side of rice paper. Fill so that you are able to fold ingredients into rice paper by rolling with your fingers all while not breaking the paper. Once all rolls are made, cut in half and set aside until dipping sauce is ready. 
FISH DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/8 cup fish sauce 
1/4 cup lime juice (3-4 whole limes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove-minced
3+Tablespoons fresh ginger- finely diced
1-2 green chili peppers- seeds removed and finely diced
Combine all ingredients completely and enjoy! 
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Kohlrabi Coleslaw

Serves 4
You can definitely substitute some cabbage for the kohlrabi and regular green onion for the purple kind.
1 carrot, julienned
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1 small kohlrabi, peeled julienned
1 small beet, peeled and julienned
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup greek yogurt (2%)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
To prepare the kohlrabi, make sure you remove the skin as well as the first layer of the vegetable because it will be tough. In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add all julienned vegetables to the bowl, toss lightly. Cover and let sit in the fridge for an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

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Green Bean, Carrot, and Cucumber Salad

Serves 4
2 cups fresh green beans
2 to 4 tablespoons apple cider or berry vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise or substitute
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon chopped Mama Lil's (or use pickled jalapenos)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups grated carrots
1/4 cup minced sweet or red onions
1 Japanese cucumber, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 
 
Blanch green beans in a large pot of water until fork tender (about 3 minutes).  Drain and plunge green beans into cold water to stop the cooking process. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, olive oil, agave nectar, Mama Lil's and garlic. Set aside. Combine green beans, carrots, onions and cucumber. Gently toss with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Zucchini Pancakes with Carrots and Basil Chive Cream

Makes 8 p'cakes 

For Basil Chive Cream
¾ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (may use low-fat)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Salt to taste
For Pancakes
2 zucchini, grated
2 carrots, grated
1¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup almond flour*
½ teaspoon sugar*
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 egg whites
olive oil
*If you only have all-purpose flour, use same amount of flour but increase sugar to 1¼ teaspoon.
 
Make Basil Chive Cream
In a bowl, combine sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, chopped basil, chives and salt (I used about ⅛ teaspoon). Store in fridge until ready to serve.
Make Pancakes
Shred zucchini and the carrots. Place together in a colander and toss with 1¼ teaspoon of salt.
Let sit 20 minutes so moisture can release from veggies. After 20 minutes, take a handful of the zucchini and carrot mixture and squeeze hard to remove all the liquid. Transfer the drained veggies to a large bowl and combine with flour, sugar and pepper. Using a stand mixer, beat egg whites into stiff peaks (Tip: Did you know if you get even a tiny bit of egg yolk into your whites, they will never beat stiff enough?). Fold beaten egg whites into zucchini and carrot mixture until well combined. In a non-stick or cast-iron pan, heat approximately 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is shimmery, add about ¼ cup zucchini-carrot mixture and immediately press flat with spatula. Cook until golden on each side, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Cook’s note: I personally like them on the darker side for added crispiness, but experiment to your taste. Transfer cooked pancakes to paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve hot with a dollop of Basil Chive Cream.

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Carrot, Dill, and Poppy Fritters

Shred a whole mess of carrots into a bowl with lots of dill and poppy seeds.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Pour in two eggs beaten with some almond flour.
Combine well.
Form patties and fry individually in oil until they get a bit crispy.
Serve with some pickled red onion.

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Pickled Cabbage with Beets and Carrots, aka Russian-style Kimchee

 

2 medium heads of cabbage, sliced
3 tablespoons salt
2 medium beets, peeled and thinly cut into sticks, or shredded
3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Mix together cabbage and salt in a large stainless steel pot or a food grade plastic container.  I admit, my pot wasn't big enough, so I made this in two batches and then combined together.  When you mix the cabbage with salt, the cabbage gives off juice and significantly decreases in volume. Stir in beets, carrots, garlic and pepper flakes. Weigh down the pickled vegetables.  I placed a plate on top of the vegetables and added a pot with water on top.  You could use canned goods or anything else that is heavy.  Leave the vegetables at room temperature for 6-7 days until vegetables pickle.  If you notice that the vegetables are dry, remove the weight and stir them together - there will be plenty of juice accumulated on the bottom of the pot.  Taste the vegetables on day 5 or so.  If there isn't enough salt, you can add another tablespoon then, as well as more red pepper flakes. Refrigerate the cabbage and beets until ready to use.  Eat as is or dressed with oil, chopped herbs and minced onion. I just might add more garlic and red pepper flakes next time.  Also, this time around I sliced the beets but would shred them next time.  What do you think?
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Red Quinoa & Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

1 medium turnip
2 medium orange carrots
2 medium parsnips
6 baby yellow carrots
2 inch piece of fresh ginger
2 Tbsp oil olive
1 orange
1/2 lemon
3 Tbsp avocado oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 cup red quinoa
 salt
freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400º.
Prepare vegetables: Cut off tops of baby carrots, reserving half of stalks and fronds. Wash carrots with vegetable brush. Wash and peel parsnips and turnips. Cut orange carrots, parsnips (remove hard core if desired) and turnips into 1/2 inch cubes. Leave baby carrots whole. Place all vegetables on large baking pan. Mince ginger, tossing 1/2 of minced ginger and 2 Tbsp olive oil with vegetables on baking pan. Place in reheated oven. Setting timer to 15 minutes. In the meantime bring to boil 2 cups of water in 2 quart saucepan. Once water is boiling add 1 cup of red quinoa, reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of water. Remove from heat, keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes then fluff with fork. After vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes stir and place back in oven roasting until tender when pierced with fork and caramelized about 15 more minutes. In the meantime make dressing. Juice 1 orange and 1/2 lemon. Mix citrus juices with avocado oil and honey, whisking to combine. Add remaining minced ginger, season with salt and pepper to taste. Wash reserved stalks and fronds of baby carrots. Dice stalks, reserve fronds for garnish. Once vegetables are roasted and quinoa is ready, assemble salad. Combine chopped vegetables, diced carrot stalks, and quinoa mixing to evenly distribute vegetables. Pour dressing over salad, stirring to combine. To serve place salad on plate, followed by 3 baby carrots per plate, additional shaved ginger if desired, and carrot fronds.
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Simple, Comforting Stew: Spinach, Carrots and Rice

I bypassed this recipe because, by nature, I tend to look for recipes that are intriguing and innovative (through the use of various combinations of ingredients and flavors), but I had to remind myself that this is what I need more of: simple, quick dinner ideas that highlight CSA veggies!

The recipe comes from Mark Bittman (the King of simple, straightforward recipes) and he indicates you can add some heft to the meal by adding some meat (leftover roast chicken, etc.) and enhance the seasonings to suit your taste (dill, cilantro, cumin, etc. would be tasty).


1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup long-grain rice, like Basmati
Salt and pepper
1 pound fresh spinach, thick stems removed, washed and roughly chopped
3 cloves minced garlic, optional
2 tablespoons butter, optional

1. Combine carrots with 6 cups of water (or broth) in a saucepan and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil, then stir in rice and a large pinch of salt. When the mixture returns to the boil, add spinach, then adjust heat so that it simmers gently.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice and carrots are very tender, about 1/2 hour, and the mixture takes on the consistency of a thick stew. Stir in garlic or butter (if you're using either or both), and cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

Sautéed Carrots

from Barefoot Contessa: Family Style by Ina Garten, p 122
Serves 6

2 lbs carrots
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1.5 tbsp chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley

Peel the carrots and cut them diagonally in 1/4 inch slices (I didn’t bother to peel). You should have about 6 cups in total. Place the carrots, 1/3 cup water, the salt, and pepper in a large 10-12 inch sauté pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook over medium low heat for 7-8 minutes, until the carrots are just cooked through. Add the butter and sauté for another minute until the water evaporates and the carrots are coated with butter. Off the heat, toss with the dill/parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
 
A note on the cookbook:
I love this cookbook. Family Style is great because it has a whole section on veggies that make them all so good! When I was a kid, my mom (over) steamed everything and I hated eating things like asparagus and cooked carrots because they were limp and slimy and all the flavor had been cooked out of them. These recipes make veggies feel like a treat :) Most of her recipes are also available at the Food Network website, so you probably don’t need to buy the book.

~ Posted for Betsy Buford.  

Smashed Veg

from Jamie at Home, by Jamie Oliver, p.49
Serves 6

1.5lbs of peeled potatoes (I was lazy and didn’t peel – turned out fine), cut into small chunks
3 large carrots, cut into small chunks
1/2 a large rutabaga (I used a much larger proportion of rutabaga probably the same amount as the potatoes)
6 tbsp butter

Put the veggies in a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil hard for 20 min, or until you can slide a knife easily into the rutabaga. Then drain and allow to steam dry. Reserve some of the cooking water to mix in later if you like a smoother consistency. Smash them up in the pot with most of the butter. To keep warm: spoon into a bowl, cover with foil or a lid and place over a pot of simmering water. So good.

A note on the cookbook:
Jamie at Home does not have many recipes posted on the Food Network site, and the book is expensive ($37!!) and hard-to-find used. Its organized by season and then by ingredients. So, it has short chapters on things like beets, carrots, potatoes, orchard fruits, tomatoes and lamb and then information about how to grow them and suggested varieties. His book is based on what’s coming out of his garden at any given time, so the recipes won’t call for fresh basil or strawberries in the middle of winter. I love that.

~ Posted for Betsy Buford.

Broccoli Rabe with Carrots and Ginger

This is a nice side dish. I served it with Creamy Winter Squash & Carrot soup and home-raised turkey. The ginger gives a fresh, aromatic taste, and the carrots sweeten up the slightly bitter greens.

1 cup grated carrot (3 medium carrots)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1.5 inch section fresh ginger, finely grated
8 cups chopped broccoli rabe (rapini)
olive oil
salt
pepper

A large, heavy-bottomed skillet with lid

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, ginger and garlic. Saute, stirring constantly, until the aromatics are released and the carrots start to get tender (your kitchen will fill with the wonderful smells of ginger and garlic). Add the greens and cover. After a minute, lift the lid and stir the wilted greens and other ingredients until mixed. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Add 3-4 tablespoons of water (or stock if available). Turn heat down to medium-low and cover. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes. Add liquid if the greens start to sizzle.

Optional: Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil before serving, or stir in a pat of butter. This mellows the flavor of the ginger.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Last week's share of gorgeous root vegetables inspired me to turn on the oven one last time before summer hits!

5 small red potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
6 medium carrots
4 medium beets
4 lg or 6 small cloves garlic
6-8 I'Itoi or green onion bulbs (the bottom 2" of the onion)
2-3 fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs - optional
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Shallow roasting pan

Peel the beets. Chop the red and sweet potatoes, carrots and beets into approx. 1" cubes. Slice the onions in half lengthwise. Peel the garlic - split large cloves in half. Put all the veggies and the herbs into the roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp salt and a bit of pepper. Toss until the veggies are coated.

Cover with lid or foil and bake at 385F for 45 minutes. Uncover (careful for the escaping steam!) and turn the veggies over. Check for tenderness. If still firm, cover and roast for another 15-20 minutes. Remove the cover and put back into the oven for another 15-30 minutes, depending on how brown you'd like them.

Lamb with Lentils and Chard

Here's a delicious crock pot recipe for your CSA lamb, carrots, lentils and chard. You can use lamb stew meat, or shoulder roast or chops cut into 1" cubes.

The recipe is adapted out of The Healthy Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson. I cut it in half - the original recipe serves 10.

2-4 TBSP olive oil
1 pound trimmed lamb stew, 1" chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp herbs de Provence (I used rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
16 oz can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice
1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
4 cups Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped

Brown the lamb in a single layer in a hot skillet. Do this in 2-3 batches, adding oil as needed. Transfer the batches to the crock pot as they finish.

Cook the carrots, celery and onions in the skillet. Stir often and cook until the carrots start to soften (about 7 minutes). Add the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper to the other veggies, and stir for about a minute. Add the bay leaf, chicken broth and tomatoes and juice to the skillet and bring to a boil. Transfer to the crock pot. Add the lentils and stir.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours, until the lamb and lentils are tender. Add the chard in batches, stirring it in until it wilts, then adding more until it's all in the crock. Cover and cook on low for another 30 minutes or until the chard is tender.

Serve with crusty bread or on a bed of rice.