VERSATILE SORREL
Whether used in salads, sandwiches or schav, this leaf vegetable has many uses
Sometimes you really do have to grow your own food. h That’s certainly the case with sorrel, the leafy green that is generally not available in grocery stores, or even at most farmers markets. h The lemon-flavored green is wonderful in salads and a great addition to sandwiches, where a single leaf can cover a slice of bread. Sorrel is high in vitamin C and an excellent source of magnesium. h Fortunately, sorrel is very easy to grow. Seeds are widely available from mail-order and online seed companies, and some garden centers also stock sorrel plants in their herb section. An added bonus to growing sorrel is that the plant is a perennial that, once established, will come back for several years.
Sorrel seeds can be planted in the ground through the end of August — full-sized leaves are ready to harvest in 60 days — but germinating seeds and young plants will need to be kept adequately watered during summer’s dry weather. Furthermore, sorrel does best with only partial sun. Because many of us have areas in our gardens that are perhaps a little too shaded for other vegetables, these might be good locations for sorrel.
Sorrel produces light-to-mediumgreen leaves that are oval or arrowhead shaped. On young plants, the leaves are three- to four-inches-long, and on mature plants the leaves can easily reach eight to 10 inches. In summer’s heat, sorrel will quickly go to seed, or bolt. A large, central stalk will appear, with narrower leaves and clusters of small flowers that quickly create new seed. Sorrel will reseed itself, so if you choose a good location, your sorrel patch can continue on indefinitely.
You can keep sorrel from going to seed too quickly by cutting back the flower stalk, but more stalks will appear, and the plant will eventually produce flowers and seed. Once seed is produced, the existing leaves on the plant will wilt and die, but new leaves will appear in the late summer, allowing for a second harvest.
Fresh sorrel leaves can be used like fresh spinach in salads and sandwiches, but sorrel’s taste is somewhat different: bright and slightly sour. Sorrel can be used in combination with spinach in making the filling for the baked Greek savory pastry spanakopita. I grow sorrel for a different reason: the traditional Eastern European soup known as schav (pronounced SHAHV).
Sorrel is the primary ingredient in schav, which can be enjoyed warm in the spring and fall, and as a refreshing cold soup during the summer. Especially nice is a dollop of sour cream or yogurt in a bowl of schav.
As with sorrel, schav is not generally available in grocery stores. So if you want to enjoy this delicacy, you have to make it yourself. But schav is very easy to make.
Sorrel sliced into ribbons is sauteed in the soup pot with finely minced onion. The sorrel ribbons will wilt and turn
to a dull, gray-green as they cook. Add water, a peeled potato diced into small cubes, and perhaps a little vegetarian consomme powder and some lemon juice for extra zing, and let it cook. And that’s it.
If you end up growing far more sorrel than you can eat fresh, schav also freezes wonderfully, so you can bring the soup out of the freezer at the height of summer after mature plants have gone to seed but before their second harvest appears, and again in the winter to enjoy as a hot soup.
The effort in growing sorrel and making schav is really quite minimal, and you will certainly enjoy the results.
Schav
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1⁄2 pound sorrel leaves, sliced into ribbons
1⁄2 medium onion, finely minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 cups water 1 medium potato, finely diced
1 teaspoon vegetarian consomme powder (I use Osem brand Chicken Style Consomme Soup & Seasoning Mix) or 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lemon wedge (about 1 teaspoon)
Wash the sorrel. Remove and discard the stems. Roll up the leaves and slice into ribbons approximately 1⁄4-inch thick.
Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan and saute the minced onion and the sorrel ribbons, which should loosely fill up 3⁄4 of the saucepan. While sauteeing, stir the sorrel, which will dramatically shrink in size, wilt and turn a gray-green color.
When all of the sorrel is wilted, add the water and diced potato, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, add the vegetarian consomme powder (or salt) and the lemon juice, and stir to mix in thoroughly.
Let the soup simmer for 45 minutes or so until the potatoes are soft.
Serve hot or cold. The soup is vegan, but those who eat dairy may wish to enjoy it with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.
PER SERVING (8 ounces): 45 calories, 1 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 2 g fat (0.3 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 102 mg sodium; with 1 tablespoon sour cream: 76 calories, 2 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium