TJ's black lentils: rave, lament, and request

Rave: Tiny pearls of inky black. Quick to soften, hard to mushify. Cooked, they keep their color and shape. Indeed, the caviar of legumes. And inside the TJ's package, a winner of a recipe: a black lentil stew with sausage. Fabulous, especially made with Pablano pepper and hot Italian sausage.

Lament: Went to buy a package at my local TJs, and the product's been discontinued! Was actually told "You people ask us to carry all this stuff, but don't buy it." Yah. The customer's always wrong. Anyhow, black lentils, RIP. With any luck, Whole Foods carries em.

Request: If anyone still has a package, would you please post (or email) me the recipe on the back of the label? I've riffed off the general idea with great success, but want to keep the original, too.

Thanks, and alas.

[pepperqueen]

For most everything you can't find at your local grocery (lots of things here in the boonies), check Amazon.com. I have had great success finding almost everything I need--from wild rice to blue cheese. Service has been wonderful and prices are good.

I just purchased black lentils at T.J.'s on May 30th, this year. I am in Tacoma, WA and the store just opened 3 or 4 months ago. Should I be stocking up?
Ellie in Tacoma, WA

[coll]

I bought a package last week (mid-August 2008) and the cashier told me how he throws them into salad and everything else, as they are pre-cooked. Of course I'm searching now to see how to use them up.....don't know if any of you are still around even!

[Caitlin McGrath]

coll, the precooked lentils are a different product, introduced more recently at TJ's (the OP was talking about dry lentils). I'd look around for ideas/recipes for lentil salads, great for summer; there have been many discussed on various threads here on Chowhound. The lentils already being cooked will make them really quick to throw together.

[coll]

Thanks, I'm thinking of tossing some into my corn/avocado relish tonight and see how noticeable they are.

[oakjoan]

Regarding TJ's discontinuation of products....they do this all the time. Sometimes, they are lying or, to be more gracious, speaking without knowing the answer.

Case in point: I love their rip-off of Stone Ground Wheat Thins, those Canadian crackers that cost an arm and a leg. They're called something like Semi-Precious Stone Ground Wheat Crackers. I stocked up about a year ago and, when I went back to replenish....they were gone. Every time I went to TJ's they were gone....for months. Then one week I went looking and THEY WERE BACK! Woo woo! I bought about 10 boxes.

When they were gone I went to replenish and THEY WERE GONE. They were gone for weeks and I finally asked at the front counter: "Let me look them up for you.......Oh, they've been discontinued due to a dispute with the manufacturer"

Sigh. I give up and try other, less stellar, crackers. Again weeks go by (Picture calendar pages flying through the air or hands whirring around on a giant clock.).

Last week I went to TJs and THEY WERE BACK! They're now called simply Stone Ground Wheat Crackers. They dropped the Semi-precious. So I bought 10 boxes. I think TJs does this on purpose to tease us into always coming back to check to see if something's been brought back.

Those dastardly fiends!!!

Long live

[chez cherie]

frequently they will find a new supplier who can produce (a)enough for their ever-expanding stores, (b) to their specs, including few, if any, preservatives. so it isn't always "lying" on their part. as you say, sometimes the harried workers aren't fully informed, but in this case, i think the truth was that they got someone else to manufacture and label them for TJs.

[coll]

I was thinking the same thing. If I ever see the dried mixed wild mushrooms again, I'll be buying all of them on the shelf!

So what kind of lentils are these? Sounds like beluga lentils, in which case you should be able to find them elsewhere (might take a little searching).

Yes, now that I look it up, they're Beluga lentils. Perfectly named -- they really do look like caviar; lovely.

http://www.foodsubs.com/Lentils.html

Well, I happen to have a package in my pantry, so here's a non-verbatim version:

1.5 cups lentils, rinsed and drained
1.25 lbs Italian sausage
8 oz frozen corn
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5.5 cups water
1/2 t. salt
pepper

Clean lentils. Place sausages (sans casings) in heavy 4 quart pot. Lightly brown and break into smaller pieces. Add celery, onion, corn. Saute until veggies soften. Add water, salt, pepper, lentils. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil over medium, stirring occasionally. Lower heat and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove lid for last 30 minutes.

Thank you so much!!

My best variation replaced the water with broth, sweet sausage with hot, reduced the celery, added pepper (Pablano if you like a soupcon of heat, regular green sweet pepper if you don't - an equal amount of pepper and onion). Most important, contrary to the recipe, it doesn't need cooking for 2 hours. The lentils themselves are done in about 20 minutes, and when they're done, it's done. Wonderfully sausage-y and savory. Good with or without the corn. Goes beautifully with quinoa and a green salad with fruit in it and a sweet-ish dressing.