Stacking Functions Garden


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Recipe: Sorrel and Chive Soup

Finally had sorrel soup tonight. I’ve been looking forward to it, and it did not disappoint.  Well, it did disappoint a bit in the photography department — not the most photogenic soup I’ve ever made.  But it tasted great, and the 4YOs ate it willingly. I call that a victory.  It is based on Bittman’s Creamy Sorrel Soup recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

Sorrel and Chive Soup
2 T. butter
4 c. coarsely chopped sorrel
2 c. chicken stock
2 c. cream or milk
1/2 c. or more coarsely chopped chives

Heat the butter in a soup pot, then add the sorrel and chives and cook until the sorrel wilts. Add the stock and bring almost to a boil. Cook for a minute or two. Use an immersion blender to puree the greens.  Add milk or cream and heat until hot but not boiling. Season with salt and pepper. DONE.  EASY!

Ours turned out a bit thin because we used milk rather than cream. Hence the toasted cheese bread on the side.

About sorrel: sorrel is one of the few perennial greens we can grow up here in the northland. It can get quite big in full sun, as my friend Jodi‘s has.  My plant is actually from a division of hers, and it stays relatively small in my part-shade location.  But we get enough for a few pots of sorrel soup every year, anyway. I believe I have French Sorrel.  It really is delicious.

Spinach or watercress could also be substituted in this recipe.


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Garden update

peas

Sugar snap peas! Coming right along. Hopefully we’ll be eating them in May.

Three rows of garlic, and hops climbing up the trellis. I am a little frightened at how huge this hops plant is already, only one year after I originally planted it.

French sorrel. As soon as it started poking through the leaf mulch a few weeks ago, I put this rabbit-resistant (note: not rabbit-proof) cage around it. Since then I’ve been begging Adam for sorrel soup. He said, “When the basket is full, I will make soup.” I think this is my week! I’ll even post a recipe for you.

lettuce in mini hoop house

Look how great my lettuce is doing in the mini hoop house / stock tank garden!

First lettuce harvest of 2012 was Wednesday, April 11.  A personal record early harvest. I harvested my first kale and chard today for a quiche.

before picture of back yard

And finally, an uninspiring picture of our back yard. This was from a series of pictures I took last week to begin documenting our back yard landscape transformation project that has just begun.  The sidewalk on the lower left has already been removed.  Thanks to craigslist, we were able to recycle all the old concrete and didn’t have to pay for a dumpster. Excellent.

Also, behind the grill there is a new garden shed that is *still* not completely done even though it was started almost a year ago. But as soon as it is, I have a full post of documentation about how Adam designed and built it.  Patience!  (For me as well!)