Recipes of the Week of July 2nd

SORREL The lemony flavor of sorrel compliments fish, tofu, grilled vegetables and poultry. Eaten raw or cooked, it is used anywhere a lemon flavor is welcome. Add the fresh leaves to salads, salad dressings and mayonnaise, dips such as guacamole or hummus, grain pilafs or fruit salsas. When cooked, the leaves turn olive green and melt down into a thick puree, often incorporated into soups and sauces. The leaves can also quickly be sautéed with leafy greens, spring vegetables or mushrooms. Eggs Poached in Sorrel Sauce
3 large eggs ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic curls, finely chopped 2 cups sorrel leaves Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Dash cayenne (optional) 3-6 tablespoons freshly grated Swiss Gruyere cheese For the sauce, place oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté about 30-40 seconds. Add sorrel, salt and pepper. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning if necessary. Crack eggs and gently place in a single layer over sorrel mixture. Season eggs lightly with salt, pepper and cayenne, if desired. Cover and poach until set about 5 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the eggs. Place under broiler to melt cheese. Spaghetti with Salmon and Sorrel
4 oz Cooked and flaked salmon 1 oz Fresh sorrel (or spinach) * 2 oz Broccoli florets 8 oz Fresh spaghetti Lemon juice and butter 2 tbl Freshly grated Parmesan *Note: Amount given for sorrel (or spinach) is for trimmed weight. Take some sorrel or spinach leaves and roll them up tightly, a few at a time. Snip across with scissors to make fine green ribbony shreds. Chop the broccoli florets into very small pieces indeed, and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for cooking the pasta. Melt 2 oz butter in a flameproof casserole suitable for bringing to table. Add the broccoli, stir to coat with fat, cover with a lid and cook gently for just 1 minute. Add a very generous grinding of pepper, some salt and 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or quite a bit more lemon if using spinach). Shake the casserole to distribute the flavourings, then scatter the flaked fish over the broccoli but do not stir it in. Cover and leave over very gentle heat for just 3 minutes or so. Meanwhile cook the pasta. Draw the casserole away from the heat. Add the well drained pasta, the Parmesan and most of the sorrel or spinach ribbons. Toss quickly, gently and thoroughly so that every strand of pasta is anointed with butter and prettily flecked with the pink and green of the salmon and vegetables. Check the seasoning, sprinkle the remaining ribbons of greenery over the top and serve straight away, accompanied by wedges of lemon instead of the ubiquitous bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Sea Scallops with Sorrel Sauce from recipetips.com 1 pound large sea scallops 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons flour 1/2 cup stock (fish, chicken, or vegetable) 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup cream 1/4 cup tightly packed sorrel leaves, ribs removed salt and pepper
Since the scallops cook very quickly, make the sauce first. Melt butter, whisk in flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add stock , whisking constantly, until smooth. Stir in wine and cream and simmer until reduced to desired consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Chop sorrel finely and stir in. Set aside until scallops are cooked. Heat grill to high (have grates very clean to prevent sticking). Skewer the scallops, leaving space between them on the skewers. Brush or spray lightly with olive oil, and grill, turning once, about 3 minutes per side or until opaque all the way through. Spoon sauce over and serve immediately.

Italian Kale 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Salt and ground black pepper to taste Cook the kale in a large, covered saucepan over medium-high heat until the leaves wilt. Once the volume of the kale is reduced by half, uncover and stir in the garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Cook while stirring for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

How To Prepare and Cook Fava Beans Fava beans need to be shelled (removed from their pods). To open the pods just pull on the stem at the top to unzip the string down either side of the pod, then gently push the pod open between your thumb and forefingers. Pop the beans out.

Cook shelled beans in a large saucepan in plenty of boiling water until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the bean. Drain well and rinse with cold water to cool. Using the tip of a knife or your thumbnail, slit the translucent skin covering the bean, peel off and discard. Use the peeled cooked beans as appetizers, in salads or in recipes.