Veggies of the Week - Sorrel
sponsored by Coleman Farms

It's no coincidence that Sorrel tastes like Sourgrass - they are closely-related members of the Oxalis family. Sorrel is Sourgrass for grownups - sour, but with a very clean lemony flavor and rich bright green color. It's often taken for Spinach, which it strongly resembles in color and texture, though Sorrel's leaves are more pointed.

Sorrel can be added, chopped fine, to salads or dips for it's lemon piquancy, but it's more often used cooked and used as a flavoring element rather than a green. One method is to wash and clean the leaves, chop them, then slowly saute them in butter or oil. When they are very soft, they can be pureed in a blender or by forcing through a strainer. The puree can then be used as the vegetable element in a milk or cream based soup or as a sauce over fish or certain vegetables. The leaves might also be lightly steamed whole and used as a serving bed for, say, a salmon filet. Sorrel can also be added to things like lentil and vegetable stews or in other vegetable dishes where a bit of green lemon tartness would be appreciated.

Available from Coleman Farms (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) at Santa Barbara area Farmers' Markets. Try also Tom Shepherd and Tutti Frutti.