Baked Lentils With Goat Cheese

• 1 pound green or beluga lentils about 2 1/4 cups, washed and picked over
• 1 medium onion, cut in half and peeled
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, preferably kosher salt to taste
• 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley, or a mixture of parsley and chives
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, cut in rounds
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup cooking liquid from the lentils
• Salt, preferably kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place the lentils in a large saucepan or soup pot with the halved onion, the garlic cloves, and the bay leaf.
2. Add enough water to cover by 1 1/2 inches.
3. Bring to a simmer, add 1 teaspoon salt, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender all the way through but intact.
4. Set a strainer over a bowl and drain the lentils.
5. Remove the onion halves, bay leaf, and garlic and discard.
6. Return the liquid to the pot and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce to 1/2 cup.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and cooking liquid from the lentils.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Toss with the lentils.
11. Stir in the parsley (or parsley and chives), place in a baking dish and top with the rounds of goat cheese.
12. Heat through for 15 minutes, until the goat cheese has softened, and serve.

green, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, flatleaf parsley, goat cheese, sherry vinegar, garlic, mustard, extra virgin olive oil, cooking liquid, salt, freshly ground pepper

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013992 (may not work)