Galley Sally: Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta

For the last, oh... eight years oh so, we've often been short on cash. Occasionally we'll wistfully remember our too brief time of eating out often, and then eating out some more. We were young(er). We lived behind a grocery store and a string of hip little restaurants, and there was always plenty of feta cheese, chocolate ice cream, and long island iced teas.

Now, that long ago little home has been bulldozed (literally), and we've spent an increasing number of years focused on how to stretch a grocery budget... Yes, that was me you saw shopping with a calculator. And we know we're not the only ones in that boat (here, I was considering some awkward pun regarding being in the same boat, and actually living on a boat, but I'll skip that).

So what do you do? Love your Lentils. Best argument? I think they might just beat out the bean in terms of the nutrition count packed into one little legume, AND they cook much, much faster. When I found this recipe, I was quite excited to try a new lentil dish. Best of all, a friend had just gifted us with two lovely blocks of feta.

Lentil Salad with Grapes and Feta

Submitted to everyday food by Julie Sun, NY. Serves 4-6, is it a dinner or side?
You will need...

3/4 cup French of Brown lentils, rinsed (I used brown)
2 Tbsp Red-wine vinegar (I used 1 Tbsp white vinegar and 1 Tbsp red wine)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp honey
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (I used dried thyme to taste)
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

1) In small saucespan, bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil. Add lentils, stir, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until lentils are tender but not mushy, 20 - 30 mins. Drain and rinse under cool water.

2) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together red-wine vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil.