Sheep Sorrel I love,
Delightful in spring and fall,
You grow without care.

I have an enormous patch now of this easy-care sorrel. I was picking it up until frost and also in very early spring, and now that it is going to seed I can still find some lower leaves to eat.

It looks very similar to the french sorrel. does it taste the same?

nice haiku! That was my first attempt at poetry. I think I need more practice.

Your poem was very nice, nostalgic and sweet, you must have been interested in nature when a child like I was. It inspired me. The lemony part made me think of the sheep sorrel, but I can't say I've had any French sorrel for a long time to compare. But I've really been enjoying it, particularly not having to actually grow it, since it just grows itself.

The child in the poem is my youngest daughter, who just turned 18 :-)

I love the poem and French sorrel as well. It's not so sour as sheep sorrel and have bigger leaves. The only problem, slugs love them as well :)

I have a patch as well but, how do you use it? Thanks

I cut or break off the tender leaves and put ~20 in salad. They would be great in a sandwich instead of pickles too, or in other applications instead of pickles, for the sour lemony taste. But the taste comes from oxalic acid, considered poisonous in large amounts, capable of binding minerals like calcium, and involved in kidney stones, so the leaves should only be used sparingly, like a condiment, eating it in large quantities would not be advisable. However spinach has a lot more, and rhubarb.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oxalic acid info

I put it into salads and sandwiches too. There's a sorrel soup recipe but I haven't tried it yet. Mostly I just love the flavor of the new little leaves and enjoy munching on a few while I'm gardening. Also the look of surprise when I give someone one to try. Same with Nasturtiums! Yum!

Here is a blog I just found with three yummy sounding sorrel recipes!

http://twosmallfarms.blogspot.com/2007/03/sorrel-recipes.html

Here's to you, my scrumptious sorrel Â
A taste so good must be immoral.

If one pronounces it a bit differently ---

A garden that's rich in sorrel
Has gastropods plenty as well
The lemony leaves
Baked salmon doth please
So any slug growth must be quelled.

Rain

(Edward Lear I ain't)

I make cold beet-french sorrel soup. Very good in hot summer weather.

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!

How come the above devotionals are not written in French?