Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth of diversity around us - in true celebration.
Day 10
Herb: Sorrel Rumex (Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) Family) one of the herbs recognized as a Bitter Herb of the Bible, although not mentioned specifically.
Hanukkah Continues
Herb: Sorrel Rumex (Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) Family) one of the herbs recognized as a Bitter Herb of the Bible, although not mentioned specifically.
Hanukkah Continues
There are three major varieties of Sorrel (Rumex): broad-leaf (arrow head shaped leaf) (Rumex
acetosa), French (Rumex scutatus), and red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus
var. sanguineus). All have tastes
that range from tangy / sour to bitter and are a lovely green for salads or
cooking. Most of the flavor comes from
Oxalic Acid, also found in spinach and like spinach, should not be consumed in
large quantities (People with arthritis or kidney stones should eat minimal
amounts of sorrel because the high oxalic acid content can aggravate those
conditions.). I love the lemony flavor
of my sorrel. It is great in salads and
cooking for the extra zip it gives. Before
the introduction of lemons in the Middle Ages, sorrel was used in cooking and to prevent scurvy
due to its high Vitamin C content.
Plant:
I grow the Broad-Leaf and it is
a wonderful herb in the garden, usually producing year-round, and will thrive
for several years.
 | |
| Sparrows enjoying some of my sorrel! |
Growing certain types of greens
in the desert garden can be challenging and most people who have grown sorrel
have not had luck with it growing through the summer. I found an afternoon shaded spot worked well
to keep me in sorrel year-round. The growth is far more vigorous in the winter,
but still produces enough during the summer for occasional use. (Pictured, the birds never paid any attention to the plant until I temporarily potted it to move it!)
Baker Creek has 3 types of
sorrel seed for sale -- http://www.rareseeds.com/search/?F_Keyword=sorrel
Food:
Dandelion & Sorrel Salad
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/dandelion-and-sorrel-salad-with-paprika-stars-11700
This Recipe for A Chocolate Dreidel was too cute to pass up, even though not quite in the theme.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/dandelion-and-sorrel-salad-with-paprika-stars-11700
This Recipe for A Chocolate Dreidel was too cute to pass up, even though not quite in the theme.
More recipe ideas for using sorrel.
Here is an “herb soup” recipe I crafted after reading various
versions many years ago. I am including
this recipe because 1) Sorrel is one of the traditional ingredients, but I did
not have any growing at the time I crafted the recipe, and 2) Using up extra
lettuce/greens and herbs is a wonderful bowl of flavor and good for you things on a chilly day.
Herb Soup
(aka – How To Use
an Abundance of Fresh Herbs and Greens)
“101+ Recipes From The Herb Lady” by
Catherine, The Herb Lady, Crowley
Serves 6
I have to say when I was trialing this, I wondered if the use of water (you can use broth) was going to give it enough flavor - oh my! I did not need to worry about that - wonderful and very satisfying on a chilly night.
The wonderful thing about this soup is you can vary the herbs, lettuce, croutons (bread) and cheese and come up with a different taste every time.
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
4 cups mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used Thai Basil, Cilantro, Parsley-see note below*)
1 Package spring lettuce mix (or 3-4 cups of greens from your gardens)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups boiling water (can use broth - but try the water the first time)
6 cups croutons (any stale bread diced will work too - some day-old nice artisanal breads would be great for this)
3/4 cups Parmesan cheese
Set aside 1/2 cup each of herbs and lettuces for garnish.
Divide croutons and cheese into 6 soup bowls
Saute shallot in butter for 1 minute, add herbs, salt, lettuces
all at once and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add boiling water,
cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle
greens and broth into soup bowls, add garnish of herbs and
lettuces to each bowl. Serve and enjoy.
*Traditional recipes call for sorrel and chervil or any combination you like - the Thai Basil has a tarragon aspect to it which minced the chervil with a kick and cilantro's citrus back-note minced the sorrel.
Music:
Grinch Song From Animated Show (because the Grinch
was a sour-puss)
Jingle Bells
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms 1957
-- Catherine, The Herb Lady
My Cookbook 101+ Recipes From The Herb Lady - back cover.
My Publisher 101 - print
My Publisher 101 - ebook - pdf
My Publisher 101 - ebook - epub
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