(no subject)

[coraa]

We went to the farmer's market today! *waves little flag* And got all kinds of green leafy things without a single sniff of kale. Yay. (I did get some Brussels sprouts, but mostly because I really like 'em, cooked properly.) I got arugula, sorrel, miner's lettuce, cilantro, sage, four heads of garlic, and Brussels sprouts. I also got frozen blueberries and two kinds of apple cider ("country apple," which is a mix of different varieties, and apple-raspberry), plus a frozen chicken pot pie, a blueberry pie, some homemade soft dinner rolls, and a loaf of sourdough rye bread. We had the soft rolls tonight -- I slow-cooked some beef, shredded it, tossed it (and some garlic and red onions) with Chukar chipotle-cherry barbecue sauce, and browned it a little under the broiler, then put it on the split rolls.

Does anyone know what sorrel and miner's lettuce are like? I've never cooked with them (or, well, eaten them, that I know of), so I'm not sure what to do -- raw as salad greens, sauteed, ...?

Comments

[tedeisenstein.livejournal.com]

You like Brussels sprouts when "cooked properly", too? That's not common.

The one tasty method I've found so far is to put them into a cast-iron pan (sliced in half if they're large, or whole if they're tiny), pour some melted butter over them with a bit of salt and pepper, and roast/bake them in a 350-degree oven (on the bottom rack) for 15-20 minutes. They come out with a bit of a crunch, and (marvelously) a bit sweet.

I'd love to get other good, simple recipes....

[paperclippy.livejournal.com]

I love brussels sprouts too. Martha Stewart has a good recipe for brussels sprouts sauteed with chestnuts. I bet you can find it on her website.

[tedeisenstein.livejournal.com]

I dislike chestnuts, though. (And don't particularly like Martha Stewart, either, but that's a whole other taste thing.)

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Mmm, that sounds good! I need to get some more chestnuts.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

I like them this way: toast some nuts (I've used almonds, pecans, or walnuts) in a dry pan, then add a bit of butter and some shredded brussels sprouts. Cook until the sprouts are bright green and just tender, salt to taste, and at the last minute add a tart fruit -- chopped apple or pear is nice, or raisins or dried cranberries.

[paperclippy.livejournal.com]

Sorrel has a very strong flavor. It's used a lot for flavoring soups. There is a soup called Schav that is pretty good, I think there's a recipe in one of my jewish cookbooks but I'm sure you can find it online. The only thing is that while I love that soup, one bowl is enough for a month because it is so strong. I've never heard of miner's lettuce.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

A quick Google turns up a bunch of soup recipes, so I think I'll try that. Thanks!

[dancambull.livejournal.com]

I have never knowingly had sorrel, but my trusty herb book says that young leaves can be used in salad, but that you want to reduce the amount of vinegar or lemon that you use. It also indicates that you can cook it like Spinach, but that if you boil it, you will want to change the water once to reduce the acidity. It also goes well in soups, and apparently sorrel soup is a "classic." The book provides a recipe for pork and sorrel terrine and sorrel and parsnip mousse

[coraa.livejournal.com]

The sheer number of soup recipes a quick google turns up makes me think that that's a good way to go, although I might nibble one of the leaves and see how it appeals to me raw. (I'm getting lots of warnings that it's strongly-flavored, which isn't necessarily a bad thing -- arugula is strongly-flavored too, and I love that raw -- but it's something to watch out for before I make myself a big bowl of salad!)

[bellwethr.livejournal.com]

Sorrel is high in oxalic acid--that's the same stuff you find in rhubarb leaves, and what is makes them not-so-good to eat. Sorrel on the other hand is very tasty! We've thrown it in salads, and also used it thinly sliced as a garnish ala parsley. Sorrel soup is also supposed be amazing--as I see someone mentioned above.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Yum! Now I'm not sure what to try first... hopefully it'll be at the market for a few more weeks so I can get more if it turns out to be to our taste.

[sithjawa.livejournal.com]

Never cook miner's lettuce. You can, but it's a waste because it is very juicy with delicate texture and flavor. Eat it straight like a salad, with a simple oil-based dressing.

Sorrel in salad is very lemony and delicious but a little goes a long way for two reasons. One is the strong sour flavor and the other is if you eat too much you'll get gout. You can also cook sorrel, with or without the remove-the-oxalic-acid water change. The French like it in soup, but I don't know how you make the soup.

[sithjawa.livejournal.com]

Basically, miner's lettuce is similar in texture to spinach, but with a more delicate taste and it lacks the weird drying-your-mouth-out property that raw spinach has.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Sounds perfect for salad, then!

[sithjawa.livejournal.com]

Oh, it is... It's one of the few salad greens that gets me going back for seconds! :) Enjoy!