Fresh Sheet: Lentil line starts in Pullman

If you’ve never been to Pullman’s annual lentil fest, you probably wouldn’t believe that people stand in line for lentils.

They do. And you could be one of them.

The 2007 National Lentil Festival begins Friday at 6 p.m. with a street fair, live music, activities for children, vendors, beer and, most importantly, the “Big Bowl” of free lentil chili.

Start Saturday right with the lentil pancake breakfast at Cougar Plaza in downtown Pullman. The grand parade begins at 11 a.m. and will travel down Grand Avenue and Main Street to Reaney Park. The Lentil Lane Food Court opens at 10 a.m. for those interested in noshing on chicken lentil burritos, lentil egg rolls, lentil wraps and other lentil-centric eats.

Then at 2 p.m. the tasting of the top six recipes in the National Lentil Festival Cook-Off begins. The first 400 people in line will get a sample of each recipe and choose their favorite. The top prize is $1,000.

Here’s what’s on the menu this year:

“Lentil BLT, submitted by Steven Carthy of Los Angeles

“Kaleidoscope Lentil Salad with Cornbread Croutons, submitted by Janice Elder of Charlotte, N.C.

“Fabulous Lentil Mushroom Poppers, submitted by Linhda Sagen of Pullman

“Lentil Bruschetta with Garlic Two Ways, submitted by Autumn Clements of Amelia Island, Fla.

“Brown Lentil, Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya, submitted by Judy Armstrong of Prairieville, La.

“Cheesy Lentil and Double Olive Nachos, submitted by Nancy Dentler of Greensboro, N.C.

The 2007 Legendary Lentil Cook-Off Book, which includes all recipes submitted to the National Lentil Festival, will be available for $2 at the festival Saturday, and at the festival office at 415 N. Grand Avenue in Pullman.

Check out the lentil festival Web site for more event details at www.lentilfest.com.

Peachy weekends

Is there a more perfect summer food than the peach? It’s all of the season’s sweetness in every bite.

Starting this weekend, Green Bluff growers will be celebrating the arrival of peach season with peach ice cream, cobblers, cakes, pies and more. Or, just pick up a passel of the tree-ripened goodies to take home. You’ll also find nectarines, apricots, tomatoes, and maybe a few plums from Green Bluff growers this time of year (along with many other fresh fruits and vegetables).

Each farm hosts its own Peach Festival events, so call your favorite grower to find out any specific happenings. You also can log on to www.greenbluffgrowers.com for information or pick up a map of the area at Spokane County library branches or other Green Bluff farms.

The Peach Festival will be held each weekend through Sept. 2.