The Humble Lentil

I was grocery shopping the other day and picked up a bag of lentils. Two fellow shoppers where openly curious about this selection and asked me, "What are you going to do with those?" I said, "Cook them." Then it dawned on me that of course these people figured that the lentils would be cooked. The question was how they would be prepared. So I gave a small talk about the savoriness and diversity of lentils. I would like to share with you some of the great things about the lentils. 

The lentil is a bushy annual plant that belongs to the legume family. It is thought to have originated in the Near East and has been consumed by humans since Neolithic times. Twenty-six percent of a lentil's calories come from protein. They are also high in iron, fiber, vitamin B1, and folate.  Not only are they nutritionally loaded, but they are very appetizing. Lentils can be prepared in so many ways. Try cooking some in chicken broth, then drain and stir into couscous along with minced onion, tomato, cucumber, and salt and pepper for a great summer salad. I also like to simmer lentils in chicken broth, white wine, orange slices, bay leaves, and curry powder. Then stir in green onions and continue to simmer until they are tender. Sometimes I add spinach to this as well. Serve it with rice or couscous.

This is my Lentil and Sweet Potato soup recipe:

Saute a large yellow onion in butter until translucent, then add a cup of diced ham and continue to cook until the ham gets brown on the edges. Add five cups chicken broth ,two cups lentils, and two sweet potatoes peeled and diced. Add nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer until the sweet potatoes and lentils are tender. I never measure anything when I cook so these measurements are more like guidelines, not a scientific formula. Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato or Yam?

Is it a sweet potato or a yam? It can be a confusing question. Many times these terms are used interchangeably. However they are the roots of different plants. Here's a summary of the differences and why we get them confused.

Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea, a family of perennial herbaceous vines which are grown in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands. These plants produce starchy tubers that can be cooked and eaten, much as a sweet potato can. Yams can grow several feet long and weigh over 100 lbs. Because they are so big, they are often cut up and sold in chunks. They have a rough skin which can be brown or pink in color. The flesh of the yam ranges in color from white or yellow to purple or pink.


Sweet potatoes belong to the Convolvulaceae family. There are over a thousand species belonging to this family and only one, batatas, is a crop plant which we eat. These plants are native to the tropical regions of South America where they were domesticated 5000 years ago. These plants are herbaceous, perennial vines with heart-shaped leaves. In the U.S. North Carolina is the leading state in sweet potato production.

As you can see sweet potatoes and yams are completely different. So why are the two names synonymous for U.S. shoppers? Well, here is what happened. In the U.S. firmer varieties of sweet potatoes were grown before the softer varieties. In the 1930's when farmers started producing the softer sweet potatoes, they needed to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the soft sweet potatoes "yams" because they resembled the yams they were used to eating in Africa. Thus, soft sweet potatoes were referred to as yams to distinguish them from the firm varieties. Yams are available in the U.S. at international markets and stores servicing Caribbean and Asian communities, however most the time when U.S. consumers purchase "yams" they are buying sweet potatoes.

Regardless of what you call them, they are delectable. Sweet potatoes are a highly nutritious, versatile vegetable. You can use them to make sweet confections like sweet potato pie, and candied sweet potatoes, or you can create savory dishes such as sweet potato and lintel soup, mashed sweet potatoes, or sweet potato chips. I would like to share one of my favorite sweet potato recipes. This recipe is easy, different, and everyone seems to like it.

Sweet Potatoes De Provence

Cut up two sweet potatoes into small chunks and place in a large bowl. Pour about three or four tablespoons of olive oil over the sweet potato pieces. Then, sprinkle about two or three tablespoons of herbs de Provence and salt and pepper (to taste) over the potatoes. Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 450 degrees until soft and browned on the edges, about thirty five minutes.

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