​Here’s another recipe from “Gather Cookbook” for Gather Patrons! I’m releasing a few of last year’s recipes to the Gather website – so the rest of you can see what you’re missing! First up was a Chunky Rose Petal Pesto (recipe here) and now these creamy & tangy yogurt mini-tarts.  Made by processing wood sorrel leaves into sour cream and greek yogurt, they have an unbelievably delicious almost spicy flavour. The best part is they taste like you’ve spent hours slaving in the kitchen. Not. And the crunchy graham cracker crust makes them utterly delectable!

Wood Sorrel (Oxalis) come from a huge family and is found around the world. Its leaves, flowers, and bulbs are edible and medicinal, and it was used as a potherb long before the introduction of French sorrel. Its three-part leaves look similar to a shamrock (the Irish consider it the ‘true Shamrock’) and often have a downy purple underside. Its tiny flower can be white, yellow or pink.

I love wood sorrel’s tart taste – similar to rhubarb though not as sour. The bulb is said to be succulent and sweet and is eaten as a root vegetable. The leaves are said to be high in vitamin C, B-complex and calcium, and have been used in folk medicine to help with digestive issues, inflammation (particularly of the urinary tract) and for fevers. It’s also used to make something called “Conserva Ligulae”. It’s said to be particularly thirst-quenching on hot sunny days. To make”Conserva Ligulae” you need to pound fresh leaves with three times their weight of sugar and add the grated zest of an orange, then add sparkling water. (I’ll be trying the recipe out for Gather Patrons shortly!)

​Wood sorrel loves shady cool areas usually under big trees – which is no doubt why it is associated with fairies and wood sprites. The most common sorrel around here is the Violet Wood Sorrel which is a native variety.

​Oxalis literally means “sour” and wood sorrel is high in oxalic acid. This can be considered toxic if consumed in large quantities. It’s important to remember many domesticated vegetables, including spinach and broccoli, also contain oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is not a problem when consumed moderately, but people with gout, rheumatism, arthritis, and kidney stones should avoid it!

​Wood Sorrel Cream Tarts

Ingredients

• ​2 cups of wood sorrel
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

• Remove stems from your wood sorrel leaves. Place in a food processor with sugar, then blend thoroughly.
• Remove sugar and place in a bowl with sour cream & yogurt. (Save about 2 tablespoons of sugar for garnish)
• ​Line a sieve with cheesecloth and put in your mixture.
• Place the sieve in the fridge overnight -with a bowl underneath – to drain.

​Crust

• ​Preheat oven to 350 F.
• ​Melt butter on low heat. Mix melted butter, ground cardamom into graham cracker crumbs. Blend well.
• ​Press firmly into mini-cupcakes tins to form tarts. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool.

​Tart Assembly

• Remove your drained wood sorrel cream from the sieve. Dollop about a tablespoon in each tart shell. Sprinkle with wood sorrel sugar.
• Ready to serve!

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