Sorrel is a very intersting plant. Because it falls between and herb and a green. It has a vibrant green color and bright lemony flavor thats slightly acidic. Use it as a leafy herb like you would in basil, mint, or parsely. Great in sauces, pesto like we are making here. Or as a leafy green like you would in spinach or arugula, perfect tossed in a salad ,It’s so delicious in soups and to finsih up some hearty stews. This delicious herb is a perennial it’s one of the first herbs to grow in our garden in the spring and one of the last ones to go in the fall. The season is long and it so easy to maintain sorrel. Just snip the flowers once they appear to encourage growth. Sorrel in Arabic is called "Humeid" which literaly means sour, which perfectly describes this green.
Today we are making pesto out of the tender leaves i harvested in the garden this morning. Sorrel pesto is delicious on flatbreads, on a grilled cheese sandwich, mixed with pasta, top of burgers or roasted chicken to wake all those flavors.
This pesto method is so easy and a great one to learn. You can use the same technique to make basil, arugula, kale, or spinach pesto or feel free to experiemnt with different herbs, greens and various nuts.
Ingredients:
2 cups packed washed sorrel leaves, stems trimmed and leaves dried
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup toasted pistachios
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
In a food processor pulse the garlic, add in the pistachios
Add the sorrel leaves
lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a food processor until you get a chunky paste. Process it to the consistently you like.
With machine running, drizzle in the olive oil in a slow, until mixture is emulsified.
Fold in the Parmesan cheese at the end. (You can process it with the rest of the ingredients if you are looking for smoother texture).
Pesto may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
You can also freeze this pesto in silicon ice cubes trays (for easy popping) and once the cubes are frozen solid, pop them out of the mold into a freezer safe bag. They will last up to 6 months.
Drop the frozen cubes in sauces, pasta, and soup. The bright green color and the vibrant fresh taste will brighten hearty dishes in the winter months.