Welcome back to the world, Kate. You know, The Real World, from which you have escaped for the last two weeks on vacation. What a magical and wonderful vacation it was. I spent a fortnight in Ireland, enjoying its lush landscapes, grazing sheep, vast history, friendly people and excellent food.

Travel always presents great culinary opportunities. I loved the endless cups of milky, sweet Irish Afternoon Tea and all the draught Guinness, of course. (It does taste different, meaning better, over there. The rumors are TRUE, folks.) The fresh seafood was amazing. Fish and chips, boxty and shepherd’s pie are… well, fish and chips, boxty and shepherd’s pie, though each kitchen has its own variation. I especially enjoyed tasting each destinations individual take on Irish Stew, though a few tasted like their version required nothing but a can opener. I expected as much. There are bound to be disappointments as well as surprises.

What I didn’t expect, though I perhaps should have, was the curry.

The above photo is from Robbie’s Fresh Food Kitchen in Dungarvan, Ireland. As I mentioned in my personal Twitter feed, it was quite a chance find. The fish and chips and a huge plate of chicken curry were demolished before I had a chance to take a photo. It turned out that most every cafe and pub menu offered a chicken curry, and some even featured other Indian classics like lamb biriyani. This chicken curry was scalding hot (just as I like it), with tender white- and dark-meat chicken, plump raisins and fat grains of sticky rice. I was in heaven.

I hadn’t expected curry, but once seen, it makes perfect sense. In England, I’d seen curry shops aplenty, much to my delight. The British Empire’s history with the Indian subcontinent explains the connection. Why shouldn’t the curry love jump the Irish Sea?

Lord knows it jumped to our kitchen in Colorado, where we enjoy…

Vegetable Jalfrezi

Tadka Dal

and Chicken Tikka Masala, among other recipes, regularly.

Getting back into the groove of The Real World after my Irish adventure, it’s going to be a while until I have freshly made, freshly photographed, seasonal recipes to share. Due to my brush with Irish curries, therefore, I’m dusting off a few dishes this week that I’ve photoed in the past but have yet to post about on Local Dish, all of them Indian or Indian-inspired.

Let the week of curry begin, then, with…

Curried Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

Tangent: How to prep chard

Dunk the leaves in water to remove grit, and dry thoroughly.

Remove the thick, tough stem.

Chop. I prefer thin strips, personally.

As someone who likes to cook with local produce, recipes like this can be a blessing. Local produce is variable. You can’t know for sure what will be in the CSA box or at the farmers market each week. Don’t have or can’t find sweet potatoes? Use another potato instead. Don’t have or can’t find chard? Use another green like spinach, collards, mustard greens, etc. Throw in some carrots, if you’d like. (Nom. That dash of sweetness sounds great with the curry spice.) Tweak the recipe however you need to or however you would like. No matter what time of year, you can make Curried Lentils fit your needs and please your palate.

I hope that you bear with me as I gather my vacation-adled wits, and I hope that you give our first Curry Week Recipe a try. Slainte!

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• Curried Lentils With Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard