I went to plant my herbs in the garden and discovered a duplicate. In the far corner, next to the currants (?) is a sorrel. Looks like the one I just bought. A sample nibble proves that it is indeed exactly what I just bought. But I have never bought one before! Not sure where it came from but now I have two.
Interesting uses lie ahead I am sure:
medicinal uses
Here are a couple of recipes from Garden Guides
Sorrel Omelet
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 tablespoon cream
1 cup sorrel, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 tsp salt
Shred sorrel. In a heavy pan, heat half the butter and add sorrel and salt. Cook for about ten minutes, while stirring. Combine the eggs and cream in a bowl, beating gently. Add the sorrel mixture and combine. Add the remaining butter to a skillet and heat until butter is slightly browned. Add the egg mixture and stir briskly with the back of a fork or spoon until the eggs are evenly spread on the bottom of the skillet. Keep moving the unset eggs around with the utensil smoothly until there is no liquid left. Do not overcook. Shake the pan gently over the heat a few times. Fold the omelet over in half and serve.
Sorrel Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 pound sorrel
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups water
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
Clean and shred sorrel, then chop. In a large heavy pan, heat butter. Add sorrel and cook, stirring, for ten minutes until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Add the water, potatoes and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Strain and mash or puree the vegetables. Stir the cooking liquid into vegetables and return to pan. Bring to boil. Stir in milk and yolk. Cook until hot, but do not boil. Serve with French Bread.
and more from John Morrell
New Potatoes with Salami & Sorrel
1 lb Small new potatoes 1/2 t Coriander seed
1 sm Handful of sorrel 1/2 t Wholegrain mustard
2 oz Italian salami (or more) 2 T Olive oil
-- thinly sliced 1/2 t White wine vinegar
1 sm Onion Salt & Pepper, to taste
Chop the onion roughly and partially soften it in 2 generous tablespoons of
the oil. Do not let it brown. Scrub the potatoes (but on no account peel
them) and steam them. Wash and dry the sorrel, discarding tough stalks.
Roll up the leaves tighly in your fingers, just a few at a time, as though
making a cigarette, and snip across into fine ribbons.
Tip the softened onion and its juices into a big bowl. Stir in 1/2
teaspoon each vinegar and mustard, some salt and lots of pepper and
coriander seed. The coriander seed should be freshly toasted and ground
coarsely using a pestle and mortar or a spare peppermil. Add the potatoes
to the bowl while still piping hot, so they drink up the flavours of the
dressing. Cut each potato in half or into quarters depending on size, and
toss gently. Scatter some of the sorrel over the base of a shallow serving
dish. Pile the potatoes into the centre, encircle them with the sliced
salami and scatter the remaining ribbons of sorrel over the top. Serve
while potatoes are still warm.
Split Pea Soup with Sorrel
2 T Sweet butter 2 medium Onions; roughly diced
1 small Ham hock; -=OR=- 1 medium Carrot; roughly diced
6 oz -Cooked ham or bacon 2 Celery stalks; roughly diced
1 Lemon, cut in half 1 t Finely minced garlic
3 bn Fresh sorrel 1 c Whipping cream
6 c Chicken stock or Chicken Broth Salt and pepper; to taste
IN A STOCK POT, over low heat, melt the butter and add the onion, carrot,
celery and garlic. Let the vegetables cook, stirring, until limp, about 15
minutes, being careful not to brown. Add the split peas, stock, ham hock
and lemon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30
minutes, or until the peas are completely soft. Remove the ham hock and the
lemon. Add the sorrel and cream. Transfer to a food processor or blender
and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve. Taste for salt and
pepper and adjust as desired. Serve this soup piping hot or well chilled.
NOTE: If the soup is chilled, thin it with an additional cup of stock,
low-sodium broth or water.
and one from Better Homes and Gardens
Asparagus with Sorrel Dressing
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup finely snipped sorrel or fresh spinach
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning (optional)
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tablespoons water
1. For dressing, in a small bowl combine yogurt, mayonnaise, sorrel, green onion, and, if desired, lemon-pepper seasoning. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
2. Fold a 36x18-inch piece of heavy foil in half to make a double thickness of foil that measures 18x18 inches. Place asparagus in center of foil. Fold up edges of foil slightly; drizzle asparagus with the water. Bring up 2 opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold remaining ends to completely enclose asparagus, leaving space for steam to build.
3. Place asparagus on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals. Grill about 15 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender, turning once halfway through grilling. Serve the asparagus with dressing. Makes 4 servings.
It's very lemony tasting. Should be a yummy addition to the summer kitchen.
