Grounded

Lentils and spaetzle was one of my favorite childhood comfort dishes. For me, the two were one and the same. When we had one, it was always attached to the other. A warm chewy jagged piece of spaetzle, freshly scooped out of a pot of boiling water and plopped in a bowl with a little butter and salt, was pure joy and the only time the spaetzle was eaten without the lentils. For the lentils and spaetzle to be served together, we would wait until dinner.

Dinner was when the lentils were ceremoniously spooned over the top to be enjoyed with gusto by five hungry children. Why a simple dish such as this would enchant my memories escapes me, but I would start to anticipate the meal the moment my mother put lentils in a bowl for me to pick through for tiny stones before cooking.  

Lentils and Spaetzle was a budget meal for our large family. A large pot could easily be stretched for a couple of meals and the flavors got better as it sat. There was something about the texture and sweet earthiness of the lentils that was captivating and the cloves that we poked into the onion that melded perfectly with that sweetness.

This dish is an able match for the Capa Vineyard Pinot Noir. Our Capa Pinot Noir has an underlying earthiness sprinkled with a nice layer of bright berry fruit on top that blends beautifully with the lentils, root vegetables and hint of clove. I thought of Capa Pinot Noir the minute I had my heart set on a meal of lentils and spaetzle.

I hope this dish provides comfort for you the same way it has for me all these years. Enjoy this humble dish with the Capa Pinot Noir and think of the good, simple meals you’ve enjoyed over the years. 

Until the Next Wine….
Maria

EAT: Tiny Lentils with Spaetzle