This week your basket contains: leeks, onions, potatoes, cabbage, French sorrel and winter squash. 

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French sorrel is one of the first greens to reappear in the spring.  I am very fond of the lemony flavor of raw sorrel.  When cooked this mellows but still imparts a lovely flavor to any dish.  As written this recipe is huge (it calls for 3 Lbs. of potatoes; full shares get 2 Lbs. and half shares get 1 Lb. in their basket) so altering the amounts may be called for.

GRATIN OF SORREL AND POTATOES

3 cups sorrel leaves

2 oz. butter

3 lbs yellow Finn potatoes

salt and pepper

nutmeg

2 cups milk, stock, or combination

¼ cup grated Swiss cheese

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 and butter a large baking dish.  Remove stems from sorrel, rinse, and spin dry.  Melt half of butter in sauté pan, add sorrel and cook until completely wilted.  Set aside.  Peel and thinly slice potatoes.  Layer half of the potatoes in the baking dish and season with nutmeg salt and pepper.  Spread the sorrel over the potatoes, layer the remaining potatoes on top, and then pour the liquid over it all.  Cut the rest of the butter into pats and distribute over the top of the potatoes and sprinkle with cheeses.  Bake for 1 hour, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the top is brown.  From Shepherd’s Garden Seed catalog.

Sorrel also makes a great pesto.  This is the recipe I use.

SORREL PESTO

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh sorrel, ribs removed

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

In a food processor or blender puree the sorrel, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil.  If you are not going to use the pesto right away, transfer the pesto to a jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate it, for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup.  When you are ready to use the pesto simply stir together in a heated serving bowl the pesto and 2/3 cup of the hot cooking water. When the pasta is al dente, drain it in a colander, add it to the pesto mixture, and toss the mixture until the pasta is coated well.

WHITE BEAN AND WINTER GREENS GRATIN

1 bunch kale or other greens

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves chopped garlic

1-2 slices pancetta or ham cut to1/2 in. chunks

1 cup canned or frozen tomatoes

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

3 cups canned white beans (canned or cooked)

½ cup chicken or vegetable broth

For Topping

1 cup bread crumbs

¼ cup olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°.  Rinse greens, remove stems and cut crosswise into ribbons.  In a large pan, heat oil and sauté garlic pancetta.  When garlic starts to turn translucent (about 2 minutes) add greens and sauté 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the tomatoes, salt, thyme, bay leaf, drained beans and broth.  Mix gently.  Transfer into an oiled 10 inch gratin dish.  Mix topping ingredients, spread over beans and greens mixture and bake 40-50 minutes.

Adapted from Greens: A Country Garden Cookbook by Sibella Kraus