Zesty Spring Sorrel

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Sorrel is high in vitamins A and C. Like many teas, rhubarb, ginger, cashews, bananas and spinach, sorrel contains oxalic acid which binds with calcium, leading to reduced calcium absorption. The resulting compound also can cause kidney stones, those at risk for kidney stones or those that have gout or rheumatism should avoid eating garden sorrel. Blanching the leaves before using it reduces the oxalic acid content. Don't let the oxalic acid content scare you off. It contains less oxalic acid than spinach, and eaten in moderation, sorrel is a delicious and nutritious addition to your diet.

Vera Eisenberg provided the following recipes. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and completed her externship at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. She has worked at Felidia and Verbena in New York. She currently is a pastry chef at Sette Enoteca e Cucina in Brooklyn and is working on her forthcoming book Sensual Strudel. She also is a food stylist and recipe developer for the Food Network.

Of sorrel Vera writes: "My father brought back sorrel plants from Hungary about thirty years ago. He gave me two plants, which over the years I have divided and shared with friends. He is gone now, but every spring when the first of sorrel plants green up in my garden, I thank him for my inheritance."