Grilled Potatoes with Sorrel Sauce

Sorrel

If you think our greens—chard, kale, beet, spinach and so on—shrink a lot when cooked, heat some sorrel—it just about disappears. Sorrel’s raw leaves resemble spinach but the taste is more acidic, the word sorrel is derived from the word sour. Sorrel reduces into a lovely, easy sauce; remember that 4 cups of stemmed leaves will make less than ¼ cup of sauce. This sauce is also delicious over eggs, any style.

Small potatoes or if they are bigger, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Extra virgin olive oil

Real Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups sorrel leaves, stems removed and discarded

2 tablespoons vegetable stock or water

Par-cook the potatoes in a steamer basket about 5 minutes. Toss them with olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat the grill.

Put the potatoes on a grill tray for vegetables so they don’t fall through the grates and grill until the potatoes are golden on the outside and tender inside.

While the potatoes are cooking make the sauce. Coarsely chop the sorrel leaves. Heat the butter in a stainless skillet or saucepan. (Cast iron or aluminum will react with the sorrel and change the color.) Toss in the leaves and sprinkle with the vegetable stock. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sorrel melts into a sauce, 5 to 10 minutes. If the liquid evaporates, sprinkle in a bit more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fried Eggs with Sorrel Sauce

Drizzle the sauce over the potatoes to serve.

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Potatoes from the Grill with Saffron Pea Shoots

Saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, brings a rich, golden yellow hue and exotic world-market flavor to what could be everyday potatoes and peas. Peas, here in the form of choice leaves and tendrils from the pea plant itself, and grilled potatoes, all fresh from the soil of Ranui Gardens.

2 pounds potatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Real Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

3 to 4 cups loosely packed fresh pea shoots, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon white wine or water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into serving portions: If the potatoes are large slice them lengthwise about ¾-inch thick. If they are small, cut them in half. Par-cook the potatoes in a vegetable steamer (or in a microwave oven) until they are just tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside until they are cool enough to handle.

Light a grill. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. On a vegetable grilling accessory tray, grill over high heat, turning occasionally until lightly charred in spots and tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the grilled potatoes to a serving platter.

Heat a dry skillet over medium-low flame. With your fingers crush the saffron into the skillet and toast the saffron about 15 seconds, until it is just brittle, being careful not to burn it. Immediately add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Increase the flame to medium and cook and stir the onions until they are translucent. Add the pea shoots and white wine and stir until the pea shoots are wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the pea shoots over the grilled potatoes.

Makes about 4 servings.

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