SORREL

Sorrel is one of the first herbs to emerge in spring. The leaves are delicious torn or chopped and scattered over a salad. It can also be used to make a green mayonnaise or herb butter. Sorrel keeps well if wrapped in kitchen paper and then placed in a plastic bag in the fridge. A few other quick ideas are (all serve 4 unless it says otherwise):

Spinach & sorrel frittata

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan.
Chop 300g Spinach, 200g Sorrel and a clove of garlic and add to the pan. Cook until the leaves wilt.
Meanwhile beat 6 eggs with 150ml crème fraiche (optional), add 150 g Parmesan and season.
Add egg mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat for 7 to 8 minutess.
Place frying pan under a preheated grill for another 5 minutes until the mixture is set.
Enjoy!

Potato gratin with sorrel

Butter a large oven-proof dish.
Peel 1 kg potatoes and slice thinly along with a large onion. Put potatoes and onions with a good pinch of salt in a pan and just cover with water, cook for 8-10 minutes. Take care that they don’t stick.
Cut 150g of Sorrel leaves in to strips and gently fry in oil or butter until it just starts to wilt. Stir in 175ml double cream or a low-fat alternative and simmer for no more than a minute.
Place a layer of the potato and onion mixture in the dish and cover with some of the sorrel mixture. Repeat.
Bake at 180C or gas 4 for about an hour

Sorrel soup (serves 6)

Warm 25g butter and a tablespoon of oil in a pan and then sweat 3 finely chopped shallots and 2 finely chopped leeks.
Add 300g of chopped potatoes along with 1litre of stock. Cover and simmer for about 25minutes. Add 250g of sliced sorrel leaves for the last 2 minutes.
Liquidise and add 150ml of cream (optional). Season.