life seems a bit more settled these days as i've finished the development portion of my cookbook, and am now focussing more on shooting the images for it. it's all so super surreal and exciting, and i cannot wait to share more about the development process with you all in the coming weeks!

frank and i have also been having more free time on weekends to tidy up our apartment - we actually hung a mirror the other day, and that seemed like just enough for the time being. i think we're really trying to ease into this space, seeing where things will end up, or coming to decisions about where we'll put the bookcase, etc. organically. the backyard, as i've talked about, was a complete mess. we've basically been overhauling what we can without spending too much. we did however splurge on a fence, as it was a shared backyard and we really wanted that extra privacy. we planted some kale, basil, leafy lettuce, and arugula back in may, and it's shot up in the past week or so, and i'm either seeing a purely green juice diet in our near future, or holding some sort of backyard market thingy to get some of this produce off my hands!

all good things are happening over here, and i usually try to keep things light, but i can't but help feeling all sorts of sadness over the awful event that took place in charleston. while i know there is so much good in this world, these kinds of recurring (and all too common) acts of hate, ignorance, and gun violence have hit us all a little too close to home in one way or another.

here's to calmer and more peaceful days, more forgiveness, laughs, and good food! xo's!

herbed black beluga lentils w/ garlic scapes + yogurt sauce | dolly and oatmeal

herbed black beluga lentils w/ garlic scapes + yogurt sauce (v + gf)

there are so many awesome dairy-free yogurts on the market these days, which is both really encouraging, but also can be confusing - there's nothing i dislike more than excitedly making a grocery store purchase and coming home to find out that it wasn't that great. so my go-to savory yogurt these days is the unsweetened (unflavored) cultured coconut yogurt from So Delicious, it's got that perfect tang and is quite simply the best! i use it in savory dishes like this one, but also in fruit crumble breakfast situations, to pair with granola, in smoothies, etc.!

| serves 4 as a side |

yogurt sauce

1/4 cup unsweetened unflavored yogurt (i use this brand)
1 tablespoon tahini paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Sea salt and ground pepper

lentils

1 cup black beluga lentils, rinsed and picked over
3 cups water
sea salt
zest from half of 1 lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped basil
2 teaspoons chopped mint
1 teaspoon chopped dill
1 bunch garlic scapes
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper
dill flowers, for serving

method

in a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
bring the lentils, water, and a big pinch of salt to a boil; once it reaches a boil, turn heat to low and simmer lentils uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. drain leftover water if needed. toss the lentils with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper; set aside.
while the lentils are cooking, preheat oven to 400°F, toss the garlic scapes with enough olive oil to lightly coat, and season with course salt and pepper. cook scapes for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, then roughly chop the garlic scapes and add them to the pot with the lentils. give everything a good toss, taste and adjust any seasonings if needed.
tops lentils with dill flowers, or basil flowers, and a good dollop of yogurt sauce.

enjoy!