How come you are saying to not eat much of Sorrel? It only causes problems in people who already have kidney disease but I have never heard of anyone who was not sick before eating sorrel and got kidney stones because they ate any amount of this plant! ( And I work in medical research!) Since we are talking about French sorrel, and since I grew up there, let me tell you how French are eating French Sorrel: Like spinach and most of the time WITH spinach ( or soups, or fish) My grandmother was buying a bunch of Sorrel with 2 bunch of spinach at the farmers market right here: http://www.albi-tourisme.fr/us/stay/shopping/markets.html After rinsing spinach and sorrel, she would briefly throw them in a pot with 3 tablespoons of water to soften them a little bit, she would add whipping cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg ( do not forget this one) and would let the mix simmer for a few minutes. When we were nice, she would add 2 tablespoons of chicken gravy ( dry) mix them with the cream. She would then top the plate with breadcrumbs and put the plate for a few min under the broiler. IF we were extra extra nice, before the crumbs, she would put a few slices of goat cheese on top of the spinach/sorrel/cream mix, let the cheese melt for a minute ( without stirring) and she would top it with breadcrumbs and place the plate a few min under the broiler... This last one is to die for. As for Sorrel and fish recipe... This one also is yummy!

Jennifer, I LOVE, lovelovelovelovelove Stouffers spinach souffle! I can make a whole meal out of just thatand eat the whole thing. Oh, my, its rich! But its SO good. When theyre on sale I buy a whole bunch of them, and I think the cashiers must think Im nuts sometimes! Something I used to make (invented, like most of the things I make) was kind of like a soufflebut not as collapsible. I beat up a bunch of eggs with a tiny bit of milk, poured some in a glass breadpan (to cover the bottom), put in a layer of cream cheese and cheddar cheese and topped that with spinach (frozen, squeezed dry), put in more egg, another layer of the cheeses and spinach, poured the last of the egg over the top and topped it with a nice layer of the cheddar. Then I baked itdont remember how hot or how longprobably about 300 and just until the cheese was brown and toasty on top. Yum! Hadnt thought about it in a long time. Might need to make it again. Bet it would work with wilted fresh spinach too. BTW, if youre gonna grow chard, you really should put in some spinach too. My friend who lives out there grows Bloomsdale Long Standing and says she has really good luck with it. And consider peas, lettuce, radishes, and kohlrabis, they should all work well for you. And I think maybe you could at least try beets and parsnips and carrots since they can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked and since they can stay in until its getting really cold again (I had freezing temps a few times before I finally got them covered with leaves). And they may not get as big as they would somewhere with a longer growing season, but theres no "lower limit" on size for eating the root crops, so however big they get is the size you eat them! And you should be able to grow other cole crops besides the kohlrabis, too. I dont grown any of them, partly because of space, but also because theyre so inclined to get aphids. Maybe that wouldnt be such a problem at a cooler higher altitude. Check out the last page of the chart Ive linked below for more info on planting times for veggies. Digit, I totally agree with you about radicchio! I dont quite understand why its considered edible! Tried red orach last year, and dont like that eitheror endive! Just dont like bitter! And Ive never even tried some of the less-than-usual veggies youre all talking about above, like salsify, chicory, sorrel, fennel. Actually I have a couple bronze fennels, but Im growing them for the feathery, bronzy ornamental valuenot to eat. (Tho I have one of them growing at the back of the tomato patch, and may be tempted to dig up a root from that one just to check it out!) And none of that was about SOUPso heres my soup connection! Bonnie, I made Ham Bone soup last weekso Id have something easy when Im coming and going over the holidaysyet something with "body!" I call it ham BONE soup, cause back right after I got married we were poor (not that Im rich now!) and when I made it, it was made with a bone with virtually no meat left on it! That was the only way we could afford it! Now when I have a ham I save the bonewith LOTS of meat, to make soup. And this time I made it with Anasazi beans. Much better than the great northern or navy beans I used to use. Thats the only way Ill make it from now on. Oh, and since you were talking about parsnips, when I made it I had just gone out to dig some carrots (for the soup), and while I had the leaves pulled back I dug some beets and parsnips too, so when I was making the soup I decided to put in a few parsnips too to see if it workedand theyre great in ham bone soup. They need to be the very last thing put in, because they cook very quickly. I just cut them up pretty small. Ill add more next time. When it comes to soup, I pretty much stick to the old standbys, chicken noodle, ham bone, and vegetable beef barley. And when I make them, the WAY I make themjust keep adding a "little" bit more of this and that and this and thatI usually wind up with TWO big soup pots full, and freeze most of it in 1-gallon plastic "sherbet" containers so I can get "a gallon" of it out whenever I dont have time for anything else or am just to brain dead to even try to think of something else to make. Its fast, and easy, and always there! And sometimes I make ones that are a little less common for melentil, potato, leek, and a few others. When I was looking up the leek recipes recently I found a parsnip soup recipe that I printed out to try sometimeif sometime ever comes! I have SO many recipes Im gonna have to have them buried with me so I can bring them back next time around! I dont collect cook books anymore! I had a whole bunch I sold at my garage sale before I moved to this house. I still use my 1962 Better Homes & Gardens looseleaf cookbook that I got right after I got out of high school! Its (needless to say) getting REALLY beat up by now, so I bought a new onebut I dont use it! I like the recipes in the old one better! When it comes to eating, I do believe in moderation, but whats the point of eating it/anything if it doesnt taste good! Besides that I still have thealso very beat up3 x 5 cards my mother wrote her recipes on for me that I use over and over and............ And besides that I just stick to the web! Its so easy to look up a whole bunch of recipes for the same thing, and then pick out the best ingredients from eachto create your own version of whatever it is youre making. Computers rock, Skybird P.S. Jennifer, Im glad to know I can become a vegetarian just by "switching" meats! That sure makes it easy! Here is a link that might be useful: Veggie Planting Guide - pdf

gooster, that was a fascinating episode. ! I met Daniel and his wife last spring. Lovely, friendly and full of life just as i expected. (did not know about his childhood). I do grow sorrel. And many other greens and things in small amounts. Some intended, some hitchhikers. Some i should not like but accept...(the horseradish) Sorrel?...i think in small quantities it can be an anti-inflamatory and healthy. (I have inherited joint issues). I use sorrel as more of a finishing garnish, a few young leaves in a base for fish or chicken. A last minute addition to a sauce. As in the classic made in Bourdain's recent episode. Salmon with sorrel sauce. Something i'm not sure of, in larger quantities, like a pesto, i avoid. Just try to balance out the meal with a salad and dressing that includes a contrasting herb. Mustard, fresh ginger, turmeric, lots of lemon and citrus.

Here's what I have in my file: COLD CORAL SOUP 3 large cucumbers 1 small onion, sliced 1 cup tomato juice 1 Tbs. tomato paste (don't omit, Linda LOL) 1 cup chicken broth 1 quart sour cream 1/4 cup dry fino sherry 12 small fresh basil leaves for garnish Peel the cucumbers and slice in half lengthwise. Spoon out and discard the seeds. Cut into chunks and place the cucumbers in a blender or food processor. Add the onion, tomato juice, and tomato paste, and process until pureed. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, add the broth, then whisk in the sour cream and sherry, beating until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Lade into chilled soup bowl and float 2 or 3 basil leaves in each. Makes 4 to 6 servings Source: La Bonne Soupe cookbook Gazpacho via Liz Jones 1 cups chopped peeled, seeded tomato 1/2 cup finely chopped Green pepper 1/2 cup cucumber chopped and peeled and seeded 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 tsps snipped parsley 2 tsps snipped chives 1 large clove minced garlic 2 � T red wine vinegar 2 T fruity, green olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp worsterchestershire 2 cups tomato juice.stir, cover and chill at least 4 hours..over night is better My adaptations 1 T minced parsley 1 T minced fresh basil 1 T minced fresh chives�or green onion tops 2 cloves garlic through a press 1/2 tsp Fresh ground pepper 1 tsp w'shire Soup,chilled cucumber I call this Bridal Luncheon Cucumber Soup, because I have served it at several bridal luncheons. The card says it's from "Cooking Across the South" a cookbook of my daughter's. 2 large cucumbers 1 clove of garlic 1 tsp salt 1/2 Tsp dry dill weed 1 cup lemon juice 2 8 oz cartons of sour cream 2 cups half and half And milk to make it thin enough Chopped chives and cucumber slices for garnish Peel and seed the cucumber and puree in a blender. Pour in the sour cream and 1/2 and 1/2 and mix well....add milk as needed to thin if desired. Chill and serve garnished with chives and cuke slices. I also somewhere, have a recipe for a strawberry soup but that wouldn't go with what else you are having...and a recipe for a pea soup made with frozen peas And I think chicken broth and cream or sour cream....topped with julienne pea pods. Can't remember where that recipe came from nor where it could be....but it's good and beautiful!