| We arrived after a sweaty hour of riding in the | | | | is just wilted. Add the shredded leaves to the |
| sun baked old Chrysler. The luxury of riding in air | | | | onion and stir to wilt. Add the water and salt and |
| conditioned style was still a few years off for our | | | | cover. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer 10 |
| family. I was ten years old and Dad was on a | | | | minutes |
| quest. The dust cloud raised by driving down the | | | | Here is where her instructions take on a clear |
| unpaved road engulfed our car when we stopped. | | | | egalitarian tone. The rest of the ingredients are |
| I opened my door to the mid-day sun and closed | | | | used at the makers discretion as to quantity or |
| my eyes to the brightness and sting of dry black | | | | even addition itself. |
| dirt swirling around me. Like I said, Dad was on a | | | | 1-2 large Lemons, for juice |
| mission. The driver's door slammed shut and he | | | | 2-6 Tbsp. Sugar |
| was halfway to the worn whitewashed farm | | | | 3-6 large Egg Yolks |
| stand before I could open my eyes again. His hunt | | | | Add the lemon juice and sugar in small quantities |
| for "Sour Grass" or "Schav" (Fresh Sorrel) was | | | | until you get the right level of tartness. The soup |
| endless. | | | | without lemon will have a straight on tart/bitter |
| It started in Chicago when he was a young man | | | | flavor. The addition of both the lemon and the |
| and continued years later when he semi-retired to | | | | sugar help with balance and palatability. |
| Palm Springs, California. His quest was as alive at | | | | The egg yolks will add a slight thickness and |
| the farm stands and markets of Riverside County | | | | change the murky seaweed like color of the soup |
| and the Imperial Valley as it was on that dusty | | | | to a murky seaweed color against a slightly |
| Midwest road. Today, French sorrel as we know | | | | golden hue. A subtle difference for some, but for |
| it, is relatively easy to find. It appears in upscale | | | | our house it was always Schav with egg. Beat the |
| markets, trendy restaurants and the pages of | | | | egg yolks in a large bowl until completely smooth |
| fashionable food magazines. In fact, it wasn't until | | | | and slightly frothy. Add a ladle full of boiling soup |
| many years after our visit to that roadside stand | | | | to the egg while stirring. Do this twice more, then |
| that I finally made the connection of sour grass | | | | pour the egg mix back into the boiling soup. Stir |
| to sorrel. I was cooking in a French restaurant and | | | | constantly until it just comes back to a boil. |
| the Chef was showing me his recipe for the | | | | Immediately remove the soup from the heat and |
| classic French Sorrel Soup. | | | | cool. Can be held safely for up to 4 days with the |
| After my first taste I blurted out to the | | | | egg (though it was always gone before that at |
| amazement of the kitchen staff around me, | | | | our house). Add the egg later if you want to keep |
| "that's Schav". The Chef looked at me with | | | | it longer. |
| wrinkled brow and asked, "What's chev?". His | | | | Diced Cucumber |
| accent making it sound more like a car than the | | | | Diced Radish |
| holy grail of my father. | | | | Diced Very Green New Dill Pickles |
| MOM'S SCHAV BORSCHT (COLD SORREL SOUP) | | | | Hot Boiled Potato |
| With a little help from her mother-in-law | | | | Sour Cream. |
| Makes enough for a lovely cold dinner for 4 and a | | | | The above list of ingredients are the necessary |
| few quarts more to keep in the fridge | | | | additions for Schav served as or with a light meal. |
| 2 lbs. Schav; (sorrel leaves) | | | | To serve, have the sour cream, diced cucumber, |
| 1/4 cup Corn oil | | | | pickle and radish in small bowls on the table. Place |
| 1 cup Onion, minced | | | | a whole boiled potato in the center of a flat soup |
| 3 quarts Cold Water | | | | plate and top with cold Schav. Let your guests |
| 1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt | | | | garnish as they please. Dad would add it all...so that |
| Wash the sorrel very well in two to three | | | | was the way I had to have it. He would always |
| changes of water. Best way to make sure you | | | | accompany this meal with stories of his mother |
| get all the sand ( though that was always a | | | | and her legendary cold suppers on the farm |
| special little gift in Mom's Schav) is to swirl the | | | | usually made up of Schav, pickled fish and some |
| leaves in a sink full of water then let it rest for | | | | sort of beet concoction that she would leave on |
| about 2 minutes. Lift the leaves from the water | | | | the porch to ferment for days before serving. |
| to a colander on a drain board. This will give the | | | | Any leftover cold Schav should be kept in screw |
| dirt a chance to settle away from the leaves and | | | | top quart bottles on the door of the fridge for |
| by lifting them you won't be pouring them back | | | | quick stolen gulps on hot summer days. A sad |
| through the leaves. When the leaves are clean, | | | | note about this soup is that as I got older and |
| remove any large stems. Roll a bunch of leaves in | | | | Mom and Dad got busier working, the sorrel was |
| a tight bundle, then slice through the bundle to | | | | replaced with frozen chopped spinach. An |
| make fine shreds. | | | | adequate substitute, but there were no dusty |
| Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and add the | | | | road adventures to find it. |
| onion, sauté over med heat until the onion | | | | |