1 pound of italian sausage (I like hot italian, chicken sausage works well also)
2 medium onions (cut to desired size)
5 carrots (cut to desired size)
1-2 cups chopped celery (cut to desired size)
(I usually use equal parts onions/carrots/celery)
5 cloves of garlic
2 T Olive oil
a mix of italian spices to taste (whatever you prefer): (oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, sage, black pepper, fennel)
2 cups lentils (regular brown or green)
1 cup small black lentils (if you can’t find these add more brown or omit if you like a brothier soup)
2 quart jars of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
water if needed
1 quart of diced tomatoes
a few handfuls of fresh spinach or other greens if desired

Add sausage and olive oil to pan and slightly cook, then add chopped onions, carrots & celery cook until softened (You can cover pot if you want). Add garlic and spices (I usually add a teaspoon or two of oregano and some fennel, lots of red pepper, a good amount of black pepper and some sage). Cook for a minute or two and add brown lentils and chicken stock. Simmer for several hours until lentils are almost done, then add small black lentils, tomatoes, greens and water if needed, cook until black lentils are finished. Then salt to taste and adjust spices if needed. Serve with freshly grated romano cheese and a drizzle of fresh olive. Tastes best accompanied by crusty bread!

Right now, we’re not eating anything out of our garden. We have some flowers showing up on a few of our bean plants, and we have some baby squash starting to show.

Right now it’s really just a waiting game—– for the rabbits to give birth, the chickens to lay eggs, and our plants to grow.
Christine´s last blog ..The Pecking Order