Sorrel: It’s Tart, It’s Tangy and Full of Benefits

Sorrel is a fascinating herb to add to your food repertoire. It’s slightly tart, tangy, and slightly lemony flavor is appreciated all around the world and is cultivated for a number of uses. Although primarily grown for use in food, sorrel also has a vast array of health benefits. There are a number of varieties of sorrel that grow in different regions of the world, and while many of them have slightly different characteristics and associated health benefits, they are generally the same.

Some of sorrel’s benefits include:

• Improves eyesight
• Slows the aging process
• Reduces skin infections
• Strengthens immune system
• Improves digestion
• Increases circulation
• May help prevent cancer
• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases appetite
• Protects against diabetes
• Strengthens heart health
• Improves kidney health

Sorrel and Onion Rustic Tart

Note: Fontina is a soft cheese, so you should freeze for about 30 minutes before grating.

Ingredients:

1 cup (4oz.) whole-wheat flour

½ cup (2¼ oz.) all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. salt, divided

4 Tbs. cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

¼ cup ice water

1 egg yolk

4 fresh thyme sprigs

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 cup finely chopped spring or green onions (about 2 bunches)

1 medium leek (thinly sliced and rinsed)

⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup plus 3 Tbs. chopped sorrel (or flat-leaf parsley), divided

4 oz. fontina cheese (grated)

Directions:

1. Whirl flours and ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor until mixed. Add butter pieces. Pulse until butter forms pea-size pieces. Add water and egg yolk; pulse to form a dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently several times, adding a little more water if needed. Form dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Remove leaves from thyme sprigs. In a skillet, warm olive oil. Add thyme leaves, onions and leek, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Let cool a bit, and then stir in ¼ cup sorrel.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place dough between two parchment papers. Roll into a rough 12- to 13-inch circle about ¼-inch thick. Remove top parchment. Place dough with bottom parchment onto a baking sheet. Spread cheese onto pastry, leaving a 2-inch border. Spread onion mixture on top. Fold border up.
4. Bake tart for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees, and bake until crust is golden, about 20–25 minutes. Just before serving, top tart with remaining 3 tablespoons sorrel.

PER SERVING: 204 cal, 12g fat (5g mono, 1g poly, 6g sat), 46mg chol, 280mg sodium, 20g carb (3g fiber, 1g sugars), 6g protein

SOURCE: The recipe and photo from Amy Palanjian is posted by permission of Delicious Living (and its parent company New Hope Network), a trusted voice in the natural living community for 30 years.