lace vs. lentils

I would like to say that I'm knitting gorgeous, inspiring things. Textures that leap off the swatch! Laces that lovingly drape. The kind of simple, classic designs that make your fingers ache to knit.

Instead, you may notice a photograph of lentils.

The fact is my swatches over the past week have been depressing in their failure to highlight the yarn I'm designing with. It's a gorgeous yarn in a pale, solid, almost neutral color that should look great in any stitch. And yet. Even old standards from Barbara Walker look poor, and the brand new stitches I'm inventing are positively destitute.

So then. Here's some really delicious and super easy stew I made last night!

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup barley
• 2 tablespoons or so of oil
• 2 leeks
• 3 stalks of celery
• several small or 2 big carrots
• salt & pepper
• 1 generous tablespoon of Better than Boullion vegetable soup base

1. Chop leeks & celery and get them sizzling in the oil in a big pot with some salt & pepper.

2. Peel carrots and chop in rather large chunks. Add to the mix and stir.

3. When things are a bit brown, add about 1.5 liters water and all the other ingredients.

4. Bring to boil, then a fast simmer for about a half hour. Turn down and let simmer for a while until ready to eat. (I let mine simmer throughout Jillian Michaels' level 1 Yoga Meltdown and writing a chapter of an art book I'm co-authoring with Sebastian.)

5. Take the chicken thighs out and clean them, putting what you consider to be the edible meat back in the soup. I'm picky about what I put back into the soup. I give the rest to the raccons my husband. His standards for edible chicken are different from mine.

Comments

[Rachel R.]

This post made me laugh - I'm a vegetarian now, but I had similarly picky chicken standards. My husband would be shocked at what he claimed was edible meat still left on the bone!

[pdxknitterati/michele]

Did you brown the chicken with the carrots? Your picture looks delicious!

[larissa]

Hi there, knitterati my friend! No, I just put it in. This is so easy it's dumb, and yet it is delicious.

Thanks for the note, Rachel. I can tell my husband I'm not the only one who is so picky. Literally.

[Beatepdx]

This sounds like a super delicious soup. Perfect!!!