The crickets are chirping with the sounds of fall and the days are getting shorter. August has been a runaway month for us. Three weekends got away with a wedding in NJ, our week in Vermont and then a Saturday in Baltimore to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 95th birthday. Finally, we’ve been able to get back on track to normalcy to spend the weekend at our home upstate, visiting our friends up there. And then there’s my garden, which has been neglected for all this time. I was afraid I would miss all of my beautiful tomatoes, but thankfully most have waited for me! But my kale and sorrel have all gone wild!! So I had to do something with them. Kale salad last night and tonight (and hopefully our son who lives in Brooklyn will take some more), and the sorrel – so much! – so far, I made a sorrel pesto sauce!
I spent all of Labor Day in the kitchen and garden. Here’s how my garden looked when I arrived on Friday. Holy kale, right!?
And here’s all the sorrel I harvested. I used only 1/3 of this for the pesto.
I made a basil pesto and then I whipped up this sorrel pesto. After that I made a red sauce, which I simmered for 4 hours with short ribs, a fruit salad and I was going to make a sorrel sauce but my husband couldn’t find any plain unflavored Greek yogurt at any store that was open on this holiday, (the only one being Stewart’s). While cutting everything in the garden, I did a bit of weeding and tied up the tomatoes that were growing all over the place. And then in the kitchen, I did something super dumb. I was reaching deep into this bottom cabinet where we keep the plastic leftover containers, trying to find a matching lid for my sorrel pesto container. I lifted my head before fully backing out and banged and cut my nose on the bottom part of the counter overhang. Wow! How stupid!! Here I am dizzy and bleeding while Steve is at Stewart’s trying to wrestle up some Greek yogurt to no avail.
So I’m holding an ice pack to my eyes and nose while blood drips down all over my face. Not a pretty sight. Steve comes home, we clean up the wound and try to make a butterfly bandage to hopefully heal this thing without a scar. Seems too minor to stitch. Besides, who wants to go to the emergency room? What a mess! Jeesh – the hazards of cooking!
Meanwhile back to my sorrel pesto. Here it is. A very pretty green, (with no blood drops, mind you).
Sorrel is a lovely, lemony flavor. I remembered this lemon asparagus pasta sauce recipe that I used to make all the time. I thought the sorrel pesto would be interesting, with the addition of the cheeses that a traditional pesto has. Because I feel sorrel is lighter than basil, I used a combination of pine nuts and walnuts as the nut addition. I know it’s not often that you may have extra sorrel around your household, but if you do, this is really delicious for a simple yet unique pasta dish.
So give it a go!! But don’t cut your nose like I did!
Remember, it’s all about the quality of the ingredients for any dish you make, so use the very best you can, and always cook with LOVE.
SORREL PESTO – makes about 1.5 cups
3 cups of packed sorrel leaves, thoroughly washed and dried
4 – 5 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 cup Greek extra virgin olive oil (I like Athena brand)
¼ cup of pine nuts
1/2 cups walnuts
3/4 cups grated Parmesan (Reggiano) cheese
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano (Locatelli) cheese
salt
pepper
In a large food processor, combine sorrel leaves, garlic, pine nuts and walnuts. Process to make a near paste. Scrape bowl. With machine on, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Scrape bowl again. Add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt and 12 grinds of fresh pepper. Process again, taste and add more salt, if necessary, to your liking.
A one cup portion is enough to coat 1 lb. of dried pasta, cooked. I like it on fusilli or gemelli best as it can get in all the little groves for maximum coverage and flavor. Excellent to put a dab on grilled chicken breasts, squash, potatoes or green beans. Adds a lovely cheesy, lemony flavor.
This freezes well.
What We Should Be Eating & Making Now
Sorrel Sauce
Fillets of sole with sorrel
Gardening in gorgeous weather
Birthdays and fennel compote
Great idea using sorrel in pesto. I am so sorry about your nose, are you ok? Sounds like a nasty cut. That pesto would be great in so many dishes.
apuginthekitchen recently posted…A Lattice Aprium Tart For Fiesta Friday #31
Thanks Suzanne. I can’t believe I did something so silly! How are you – from your tumble a while back? And yes we had the pesto on some roasted squash tonight and it was really yummy! Hope all is good with you!!
This pesto looks tasty!
yummychunklet recently posted…Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Bourbon-Peach Barbecue Sauce
Thank you!!
Oh you poor thing! I hate when silly things happen like this. I hope your nose heals with no scarring and quickly too.
Your pesto sound yummy as does that sauce.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted…A Guide to Fantastic Champagne and Food Pairings
Thanks Maureen – it was so stupid!!
I bet sorrel makes a great tasting pesto. I have used kale in a pesto and it tasted just fine. Sorrel is not available here – too hot to grow it and I have never seen it in the market. Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post.
Jovina Coughlin recently posted…How To Make Italian Sunday Gravy
Thanks Jovina!! We just had some tonight on some roasted squash and it was delish!! Hope all is good with you. Your Sunday sauce sounds amazing!!
I am so glad you posted this, Mary, but, first, OUCH! Gosh that must have hurt! I hope you’re doing better now.
I’ve never had sorrel, that I know of, and have wondered what it tastes like.now I’ve a much better idea. That you use it to make pesto help me to put it into perspective. I make pesto using a number of ingredients, garlic scapes, ramps, and mint to name a few. Thanks to you, I’m going to go out and find me some sorrel to play with. Thanks, Mary. 🙂
ChgoJohn recently posted…Roast Duck and a Sordid Act Revealed
Wow John – mint pesto sounds great and I always have tons of mint and never even thought of that!! Thank you for mentioning it. I hope you were able to find some sorrel. I am positive you will LOVE it – and find many uses for it as I have. However, unless you grow it, it can be hard to find and then sometimes only in little quantities. I recommend you plant some!
P.S. I am doing better now but am dealing with a nasty scar – thank you for asking.
Sorrel is such a good thing…..I always forget to buy it ( as I don’t grow vegetables) . The pesto sounds very good indeed as does the asparagus pasta:)
Roger Stowell recently posted…A warm hand on your opening….
Yes Roger, I have to share the asparagus pasta recipe – soon! It’s a great one!
This is so beautiful! I love things harvested from the garden. That pesto looks so good. I’d put that on anything! Glad you’re using up all your bounty.
Totally Amanda – it is great on anything!! Thanks for visiting!!
I should probably branch out from my spinach pesto and try this, it looks and sounds delicous!
The Squishy Monster recently posted…Kimchi Pancakes 김치전
Angela! I think you would really like this!!
Oh, ouch! How that must have hurt! I’m cringing just thinking about it — poor you. Anyway, sorrel is good stuff, and I don’t see it in the markets all that much. I should try growing it — might be the best way to make sure I get some. Great recipe — I’ve never had sorrel pesto, but love the idea. Thanks.
John@Kitchen Riffs recently posted…The Sundowner Cocktail
John – thanks so much for your concern. I have found that growing it is the only way to get a good enough quantity.
It is a wonderful pesto! I will have to try it for sure. Sorry to hear about the accident in the kitchen though.
tinywhitecottage recently posted…bacon “leafy green” tomato pasta
Thank you! I appreciate your concern.
The sorrel must give this pesto such a lovely balance of flavours with it’s hint of lemon. I’m in the midst of working out what veggies and herbs to plant this season – so it’s wonderful to be inspired by something I’ve never planted before!
Hope you’re feeling alright now Mary – it really does sound like it was a bad bump/cut to the head!
Margot | Gather and Graze recently posted…Lavender White Chocolate Shortbread
Hi Margot – yes I really hope you get to plant some. It’s so lovely – I know you’ll enjoy working with it! Thanks so much for your concern.
I’ve only ever made standard basil pesto. This looks like a lovely variation though. I recently posted a recipe for a pesto potato salad I’ve been making lots of. I’m going to try it with your sorrel pesto next time though!
Your potato salad sounds great, Rachel!!
Wow! This really was a labor of love. I haven’t had much sorrel, but anything with pesto in the mix is wonderful in my book! Glad you survived your day in the garden!
Luci’s Morsels – fashion. food. frivolity.
Luci {Luci’s Morsels} recently posted…Mixed Denim on Denim
Thanks Luci!!
Your pesto looks absolutely incredible, I would never have thought of using sorrel in it! 😀
Lovely photos too!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted…Brasserie Bread Extravaganza Part II
Thank you!! 🙂
I have never tasted sorrel or cooked with it. But I can just imagine how good it is… so sorry about your nose!
Mimi recently posted…Summer Cup
Thanks Mimi!! 🙂
I wonder if I can find sorrel here in NZ, hopefully I can as I am intrigued with the taste of this one
Raymund recently posted…Kau Kee Beef Noodle Soup
Knowing your recipes, I think you would LOVE sorrel, Raymund!
Hi Mary, sorry about your nose, there’s one of our cabinets that I’m always hitting my head on. I get so mad at myself. Anyway, this sounds so interesting. Never have grown sorrel before, sounds delicious.
cheri recently posted…Roasted Eggplant Sandwich
Thanks Cheri! Yes – this was such a stupid thing I did!!
Your kale is like a green fountain! This pesto looks lovely 🙂
Francesca recently posted…Risotto with Rosemary, Ham and Chanterelles
I know that kale is – well on of my boys wrote, “Holy Kale!!”
What an original pesto, I really want to make some now to taste, minus the injury. Hope you are doing better.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz recently posted…Maraq Fahfah (Somali Soup)
Thanks Evelyne!! Now I’m working on diminishing the scar!
Mary,
Don’t forget about the beautiful chard cakes with sorrel sauce you made us a few years back. It was so delish! It was from the NY Times in 2011.
Hope you are healing nicely!
Trish
I know!! That was a great recipe but a lot of work. This sauce is a riff on that sauce recipe.
I will harvest my last bit of sorrel and give this recipe a go tomo!