Sorrel. Have you ever heard of it? Eaten it? If not, you've got to learn more about it, try growing it, and experiment with it in the kitchen! It's a fabulous addition to any garden.
In the US, most "foodies" have heard of French sorrel, but there is another beautiful variety called bloody sorrel or blood-veined sorrel. The veins of these leaves of this variety are deep red, making the plant very visually interesting. The red color does not affect the flavor, however. Sorrel has a lemony/citrusy, tangy flavor that brightens salads and pairs well with arugula and spinach and with sweet vegetables like roasted beets and caramelized onions. Toss sorrel leaves into soups or add to scrambled eggs or omelettes. Sorrel can also be juiced along with your favorite fruits and veggies to make a healthy and nutritious juice, or toss some into your green smoothies along with a bit of fresh ginger for some real zing. There are many variations of sorrel soup, too, most involving cream and egg yolks as thickening agents, but lighter versions can be made as well. It's incredibly versatile and so darned easy to grow. It's perennial, so once planted, there's very little maintenance, and it reappears faithfully each spring, providing edible foliage from early spring right through early to mid winter.
What does all this have to do with Ireland? Well, sorrel grows wild all over Ireland and is typically found in grasslands, woodlands, and even roadside ditches (or so I've read). In Ireland, it's known as sheep's sorrel, and it is distinctly different from another type of sorrel called wood sorrel, the plant that we recognize as the shamrock. Since we'll be in Ireland during the springtime, riding our bikes on roads that pass through grasslands and woodlands, I plan to do some sorrel-hunting. I'll post pictures if I find any!
For additional information and recipes, you might like to visit these sites:
http://www.ireland-guide.com/article/sorrel.10206.html
http://wildandslow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/WILD_SORREL_FINAL.pdf
PS If any of you know why I can no longer get paragraphs and indenting to show up in my blog posts, I'd love to hear your thoughts. It's frustrating to see these giant uni-paragraphs on my blog.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Rumex acetosa - Say what?
Sorrel. Have you ever heard of it? Eaten it? If not, you've got to learn more about it, try growing it, and experiment with it in the kitchen! It's a fabulous addition to any garden.
In the US, most "foodies" have heard of French sorrel, but there is another beautiful variety called bloody sorrel or blood-veined sorrel. The veins of these leaves of this variety are deep red, making the plant very visually interesting. The red color does not affect the flavor, however. Sorrel has a lemony/citrusy, tangy flavor that brightens salads and pairs well with arugula and spinach and with sweet vegetables like roasted beets and caramelized onions. Toss sorrel leaves into soups or add to scrambled eggs or omelettes. Sorrel can also be juiced along with your favorite fruits and veggies to make a healthy and nutritious juice, or toss some into your green smoothies along with a bit of fresh ginger for some real zing. There are many variations of sorrel soup, too, most involving cream and egg yolks as thickening agents, but lighter versions can be made as well. It's incredibly versatile and so darned easy to grow. It's perennial, so once planted, there's very little maintenance, and it reappears faithfully each spring, providing edible foliage from early spring right through early to mid winter.
What does all this have to do with Ireland? Well, sorrel grows wild all over Ireland and is typically found in grasslands, woodlands, and even roadside ditches (or so I've read). In Ireland, it's known as sheep's sorrel, and it is distinctly different from another type of sorrel called wood sorrel, the plant that we recognize as the shamrock. Since we'll be in Ireland during the springtime, riding our bikes on roads that pass through grasslands and woodlands, I plan to do some sorrel-hunting. I'll post pictures if I find any!
For additional information and recipes, you might like to visit these sites:
http://www.ireland-guide.com/article/sorrel.10206.html
http://wildandslow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/WILD_SORREL_FINAL.pdf
PS If any of you know why I can no longer get paragraphs and indenting to show up in my blog posts, I'd love to hear your thoughts. It's frustrating to see these giant uni-paragraphs on my blog.
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