Sunday, March 21, 2010

Sing, Spring, Zing

A few years ago, my pal Kudzu suggested I plant sorrel in a pot. If planted in the ground, she warned, it would run amok. Amazingly, the darn stuff keeps renewing itself, and I've had a pot of sorrel leaves now for some time.
But you can't just look at it appreciatively. You have to eat it.
I picked some to eat raw, in a salad. I hadn't made a meal of raw sorrel before, but it was tasty and I didn't die.
Cranky was in on this. We blended the sorrel with some Little Gem lettuce, pepper cress, mandolined radishes and mandolined fennel bulb. When you shave radishes, et al., that thinly, you are "making lettuce." No chunky chunks in this beautiful dish.
Knowing that sorrel leaves taste sour, I decided not to use any vinegar or lemon in the dressing. I envisioned myself drizzling olive oil over the salad, and asked my brain what would go with that. Honey. A drizzle of honey. (Salt and pepper, too, yes?)
I think I love my brain. Good call.

15 comments:

Ms Brown Mouse said...

So green so pretty so NOT brown food :)

SallyBR said...

It looks beautiful.... we are such pathetic gardeners, I envy people like you who can grow wonderful produce in their backyard. I've been know to kill mint (sigh)

Zoomie said...

Looks so fresh and light!

Kevin said...

CC,
Try making a sorrel pesto and serve it on fish.

kudzu said...

So glad it's working (and working and working) for you! I rarely eat it raw, but the salad looks so appealing, especially after such a gray, long winter.

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: Yeah yeah yeah! Not arty, but just pretty.

Sally: You could probably grow sorrel if you wanted. I've also killed mint. Three times. We should start an eradication company. Renta Minta Yenta.

Zoomie: The body craves, sometimes.

Kevin: Yow! That sounds really nice. Thanks.

Hungry Dog said...

Looks very nice indeed. Perfect for spring. Sorrel. I think I've had that in a soup. Never raw. Why not though?

J-in-Wales said...

I so love sorrel. So do my chickens, unfortunately (grrr). Fortunately it grows wild by the bucketful here and arrives when there is very little green in the garden at all.
My favourite destination for it is a large handful wilted in a pot of puy lentils just before serving.
I may have to go a-foraging tomorrow...

cookiecrumb said...

Dog: Yeah, cream of sorrel soup is the usual. I rather liked the raw leaves, and I'm still not dead!

J-in-Wales: You can collect free, wild sorrel? So nice. I'm riveted by your insouciant recipe of sorrel and puy lentils. Might make that for supper.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

PS - HCR - woot!

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: W00t! Welcome to the world, America.

Anonymous said...

That salad looks wonderful. I've used it with fish, but not in a salad... yet! Thanks for a great post.

Era said...

Sorrel! I had forgotten about it in the crush of winter. I need to get me some.

Greg said...

Spring has sprung the flowers has ris I wonder where my salad is? ;)

cookiecrumb said...

Zia: Well... guess what! We used it with fish. OMG. We really liked it. (Try a salad anyway.)

Era: Is your crush of winter finally abating? Get some sorrel, it grows all by itself.

Greg: I started craving salad a month ago or more; you just gotta get some fresh greens in you. Ever tasted miner's lettuce? I used to have a patch of it in my wild front yard.