Lentils With Cucumbers, Chard, And Poached Egg

I wasn’t feeling well today; I spent much of it asleep. My stomach had been unsettled for a few days, but today food was not appealing to me and I was dizzy. So my plans for our dinner needed to change. I decided eggs would be good for me, and for some reason I was also craving greens. Luckily, I had recently harvested some swiss chard from my garden.

And, I happened to have a recipe from for poached eggs with swiss chard from Bon Apetit magazine that I could work from. It was a really interesting recipe, each piece of the dish was separately flavored and spiced – swiss chard with garlic, lentils with lemon and scallions, and cucumbers with za’atar. When put together, the the egg helped bring the flavors together; it worked far better than I imagined they would.

Lentils With Cucumbers, Chard, And Poached Egg

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

4 – 8 large eggs, depending on whether each person wants 1 or 2 eggs (locally raised)

2 cups cooked green lentils (from about 1 cup uncooked)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon za’atar, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bunch large Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into 2” pieces (from the garden)

1 garlic clove finely grated (from the garden)

Directions

Combine lentils, scallions, lemon zest, and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toss cucumbers with 1 Tbsp. za’atar and remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Bring about 2” water to a boil in a large saucepan; reduce heat so water is at a gentle simmer and add vinegar. Crack an egg into a small bowl, then gently slide it into water. Repeat with remaining eggs, waiting until whites are starting to set before adding the next one (about 30 seconds apart). After about 3 minutes, whites should be set and yolks still runny. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to paper towels as they are done.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add Swiss chard by the handful, tossing and letting it cook down a bit before adding more, and cook until tender; season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic, if using, and set aside.