This lentil salad is an explosion of summer flavours.
My tomatoes are just bursting with flavour and there is nothing better then going to the ‘orto’, picking the tomatoes and eating them still warm from the sun.
The basilico is also at its peak, so I decided to make some basilico oil, a great ingredient to have in the fridge to use  on salads and vegetables.It is  fantastic combined with fresh tomatoes and lentils.

• to make the basilico oil:

• 2 large bunches of basilico, stems removed
• 1 chilli and 1 clove of garlic
• salt and pepper
• 500 ml very good virgin olive oil
• put all the ingredients into your food processor and blend
• keep in a jar in the fridge

• To make lentils for four people :

•in plenty of water boil 300 gr of Puy lentils

• they should still be ‘ al dente’, so keep checking them
•  drain them and refresh with a little cold water to stop the cooking
• mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil through the lentils

• a small bunch of Italian parsley
• a little fresh baslicio, just the leaves
• 2 sprigs of tulsi, the Indian holy basil, just the leaves ( optional )
• roughly chop the herbs
• 4-5 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

• mix some basilico oil through the lentils, salt and pepper to taste
• now add the tomatoes and chopped herbs

• I served the lentils with some maast-e  chekideh, a Persian thickened yoghurt with garlic and olive oil, a recipe from my book ” Pardiz”.
• serve with some crunchy bread as well