José Pizarro’s lentils with wild garlic (or spinach) and goat’s cheese – recipe

Jose Pizarro’s lentils wIth wild garlic, goat’s cheese and honey. Photograph: Kim Lightbody/The Guardian. Food styling: Hanna Miller. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food styling assistant: Alice Earll.

When I was a child, Mum wouldn’t let me refuse lentils. If I left them, they’d be breakfast the next day – “They’re good for you!” – and I soon learned that being picky wasn’t wise in our house. Small, brown pardina lentils have thin skins, a creamy texture and earthy, herbal, peppery notes; they also hold their shape well, making them perfect for salads. It’s no surprise, then, that the finest examples from Tierra de Campos, the vast, semi-arid plains north of Valladolid, even have a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

Pardina lentils with wild garlic (or spinach), goat’s cheese and honey