In this, the second of three one-pot Back to Life recipes (see the introduction in my blog post from this past Sunday, January 3rd), my new #Staub cast-iron Dutch oven made its debut on our kitchen table and was everything I’d dreamed of! My family chose the dark green color, which looks beautiful wherever it sits. Magnificently designed, it is simply a gorgeous pot that squeezes every last molecule of flavor out of its ingredients, and then holds its heat like a brick wrapped in bunting. And, no, I received no compensation of any kind to say that. And, yes, it’s true.

Last week I was in the bulk section at our local grocery store, and I spied some yellow lentils. Not the orange-pink (called “red”) lentils you see sometimes, but thin, small, yellow lentils. And not split peas; these were really lentils. Of course, they were calling my name, so I brought them home and introduced them to my brand new pot.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet onion sliced thin
1 large apple, diced small
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, rinsed well and sliced thin
2 tsp. herbs de Provence
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 medium baked potato, diced
2 1/2 cups yellow lentils 

Put up a large kettle of water to boil.

Place the dutch oven over a flame and heat olive oil until fragrant. Fry onion, apple, carrots and celery until just barely beginning to soften. Add diced potato, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. 

Add lentils, and stir into the contents of pot until the lentils are well distributed. Now pour boiling water into the pot until lentils and vegetables are covered by 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Cover, and place in 325F oven for 90 min. It should not be soupy; if so, return to oven and allow to cook uncovered 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and allow to sit uncovered 10-15 minutes. Serves 6-8.