IN SEASON

As a kid I was scolded by adults whenever I was caught chewing on the little clover shaped plant shown below. “What if a bug peed on it?” was the usual challenge. I had no idea what the plant was, just that I LOVED the tangy taste and it grew at my grandmother’s house every summer.

Fast forward 50’ish years and I learned that my childhood treat was wood SORREL and that cultivated sorrels had been used in French cuisine for many years.

That knowledge came a little late to be vindicated for all that scolding.

Garden sorrel (there are multiple varieties) is a sturdy, easy-to-grow leafy plant that comes back year after year, and belongs to the same botanical family as rhubarb and buckwheat. It’s best thought of as being halfway between a green and an herb: its flavor is notably tangy and sour, and most sorrel recipes have you eat it raw or gently cooked. In both cases it is best served in combination with other ingredients, so its strong citrus taste won’t overwhelm. It can really lift a dish, especially in conjunction with a sweet or fatty element.

Sometimes called the lemon of the vegetable world it is an excellent source of fiber, phytonutrients and folic acid so sorrel is highly nutritious. It is high in vitamin C and also contains vitamins A, E and K as well as iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Similar to spinach and other leafy greens, sorrel also contains oxalic acid. In extremely high doses, oxalic acid can be toxic to individuals susceptible to kidney stones. Therefore, consume sorrel in sensible moderation (i.e. don’t eat large quantities daily).

So far your Market manager has enjoyed it raw in salads with other greens, scrambled with eggs, in cream sauce with other vegetables and replacing spinach in keto soups. All were wonderful. And I must confess to chewing on a leaf every once in a while because that naughty kid still likes the taste.

Tonya of Martin’s Harvest likes it best on fish tacos.

All that being said, if you’re up for a little culinary adventure, give it try! What follows are some recipes to get your imagination going. Bon Appetite!

Top Left: Zingy Chickpea and Sorrel Salad with Lemon Dressing is nutritionally dense and could easily be used as a main dish.

Top Right: Lemony Red Sorrel Pesto is made with pecans and can be paired with vegetables and used as a meat garnish. Fresh prepared pesto keeps will in the freezer to enjoy during winter months.

Bottom Left: This classic & versatile Sorrel Sauce can be served over quiche, breads, fish and poultry.

Bottom Right: This is one example of sorrel in dessert: Strawberries with set vanilla yoghurt and sorrel

GROWER & MARKET NOTES

NEW & RELISTED Yukon Gold Potatoes – – Avalon Farms Tomatoes – keep your eyes peeled for updates as I harvest –
Avalon Farms

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SUMMER FARM FUN – What follows stems from a conversation in the Market Shed a few weeks ago about the crazy things we wear while working on our farms . . . and how ridiculous we look. It birthed the idea of a Farm Fashion Show so we’ll be sharing photos with you this summer of some of us in our work attire. Some (like the marshmallow below) may be easy to recognize, others, maybe not so much. But we won’t be sharing names till August so feel free to laugh at us in the meantime.

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AVALON FARMS: Asparagus is done for the year. Sad, I know. That’s the thing with asparagus you are actually harvesting the new growth as it comes up. So you can’t just keep harvesting forever or you’ll kill the plants. Now we’ll have big pretty asparagus ferns till winter when they die back and get mowed.

Tomatoes are beginning to ripen, a new variety called Early Girl that is living up to its name. Keep an eye on the market, I’ll list as soon as I harvest some.