Cooking from the empty pantry

I've been away for a few days to Charleston, SC.  There is a conference there every year and this is the third time I've attended.  It's a librarian conference, focused on collection development, acquisitions, electronic resources, technology among other topics.  Sean came with me this year and let me tell you, we ate like kings.  Sean's birthday was Wed night so our three friends joined us for dinner at Fig.    Thursday night, several of us were treated to dinner at Poogan's Porch by one of our vendors.  The last night there, we went to Jestine's  I ate mac and cheese, collards and butter beans with a slice of coconut cream pie to end the evening.  Needless to say, it's water and stale bread for me for awhile.

I got home this afternoon and decided to make something for the next few days.  On the way home, I stopped at my garden and picked greens (mustard, lettuce, arugula, mizuna).  I opened my fridge and realized there wasn't much there and there was no way I was going anywhere out of the house.

I dug out a lentil stew recipe and miracles of miracles, had all the ingredients (well, I made substitutions)

Shallots, garlic, potatoes and tomatoes, all from my garden

Mustard Greens picked earlier

Spices (coriander, curry and cumin) and brown lentils

Vegetable base for broth and cilantro lime sauce to add at the end

Lentil Vegetable Stew

2 tblsp olive oil

1 onion chopped

1 tblsp minced garlic and ginger

1 tblsp curry powder

1 tsp each cumin, coriander, salt

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 cup brown lentils

3/4 lb red potatoes diced

29 oz veg or chicken broth

1 10 oz bag of spinach

1 cup shredded carrots

1 tomato diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil, saute onion and cook 4 min,  Add spices and garlic and ginger and cook another minute.  Stir in lentils, potatoes, broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 min.  Add rest of the ingredients and cook for a few minutes.