The Purloined Recipe

(recipe from the book Local Flavors used with permission of the author, Deborah Madison)

Serves 2 - 4.

Sorrel fares miserably when packaged in plastic clamshells—it just falls apart.

Plus sorrel is something you want to use by the bunch, not just by the leaf, and
the farmers’ market is one place you can often find this tart, lemony herb in
abundance.

Lovage is harder to find, even at the farmers’ market, but ask an herb seller if she has some or would consider growing it. It’s an easy herb to grow, and its bracing, dynamic flavor adds a tot of personality to all kinds of dishes. Together these herbs give this soup a mysterious flavor that’s a little hard to place but definitely exciting. (A small bunch of cilantro would do the same thing, lacking the other herbs.) Made with the lesser amount of liquid, the soup is thick and hearty. Using the full amount makes a more refined soup.

Serve with small croutons crisped in olive oil or with a few tablespoons of cooked rice in each bowl.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 small potatoes, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
3 to 4 cups (6 to 8 ounces) sorrel, stems removed
4 cups chard leaves
1 cup lovage or cilantro leaves, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 to 6 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water
lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1/3 cup crème fraîche

1. Warm the butter and oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, potatoes, carrot. sorrel, and chard, along with the water clinging to its leaves. Add two thirds of the
   lovage and sprinkle 1½ teaspoons salt over all. Cover and cook over low heat
   until the greens have collapsed and the potatoes are partially cooked, about 15
   minutes. If the pan seems too dry at any point, add water in small increments so
   that nothing burns.
2. Add the stock or water, bring to a boil, and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Puree or leave the soup with some texture. Stir in the remaining lovage. Taste for salt and season with pepper and lemon juice or vinegar to taste to bring out the flavors. Sometimes several adjustments are necessary to get it right. Stir in the crème fraîche and serve.

carrots, cilantro, lovage, onions, potatoes, sorrel, soups, swiss chard

(recipe from the book Local Flavors used with permission of the author, Deborah Madison)

Eat these warm savory custards right out of their ramekins for lunch or supper. You can make this leaving the texture of the leeks and sorrel intact or puree it and make it smooth. It’s good both ways.

4 to 6 thin leeks or scallions
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounce bunch sorrel
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
3 market eggs
freshly ground pepper
2 ounces fresh goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1. Thinly slice, then chop the white parts of the leeks, going into the pale part of the greens a short way. You should have about 1 cup. Rinse them well. Melt the butter in an 8-inch skillet. Use some of it to brush four ½ cup ramekins, then add the leeks to the skillet. Add ¼ cup water or white wine and cook gently over medium-low heat until softened, about 12 minutes.
2. Strip the sorrel leaves off the stems; wash and finely chop them. Add them to the pan with the leeks, sprinkle with salt, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and heat until warm but not boiling.
3. Beat the eggs well, then stir in the sorrel mixture. Season with pepper and crumble in the cheese. If you want smooth custard, puree using short pulses. Don’t over mix or it will be too foamy on top.
4. Divide among the ramekins, place in a baking pan and surround with a hot water bath. Bake until the custards are set and a knife inserted comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Set the ramekins on small plates and serve with buttered toast.

entrees, leeks, sorrel