Gruyere and Sorrel Tart -Tarte a l’Oseille et au Gruyuere
Serve this as a main course at lunch, with a salad, or as a first course fro supper, with a light Gamay de Touraine alongside.
9 ounces sorrel rinsed
¼ cup milk
¼ cup Crème Fraiche or heavy whipping cream
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
¼ teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 10 ½ inch pre-baked pie shell
1 ½ cup grated Gruyere or Comte cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Place the rinsed sorrel with the water still clinging to it in a medium heavy pan over medium heat. Cook covered until the sorrel melts, and turns an olive green, about 5 minutes. Stir it occasionally so it cooks evenly and continue cooking unit it gives up most of its liquid and turns to a thick puree, another 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the mile and the cream fraiche. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, whisking until thoroughly blended. Then whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
Place the pre-baked pastry shell, still in its pan on a baking sheet, spread the sorrel puree in the shell and top it with the cheese. Then pour in the egg mixture, carefully place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the tart is puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes. Notes: If sorrel is hard to find, use 1 pound fresh spinach. Steam it until it is completely tender drain and mince it, then season it with ¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and sea salt.
Chard Soup with Sorrel or Lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion or 2 medium leeks, white parts only chopped
3 red potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bunch chard, stems removed about 10 cups leaves
2 cups sorrel leaves stems removed or juice of 1 large lemon
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
½ cup cooked rice or small toasted croutons
Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and
potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to color,
about 8 minutes. Add ½ cup water and scrape the bottom of the pot to
release the juices that have accumulated. Add the greens and 1 ½
teaspoon salt. As soon as they wilt down, after 5 minute or so, add 6 ½
cups water. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer,
partially covered for 12-15 minutes. Puree the soup, and then return to
the pot. Taste for salt and season with pepper, if you don’t use sorrel
add the lemon juice. Mix the crème fraiche with some of the soup to
smooth it out, then swirl it into the soup. Serve with rice or croutons
in each bowl.
Chard Soup with Cilantro
Substitute a small bunch of cilantro chopped for the sorrel and add 1
teaspoon paprika to the onion and potatoes. The haunting flavor is hard
to place at first but is a must try for cilantro lovers