Sorrel French Green De Belleville

A French heirloom grown for bright shield-shaped leaves with a sharp lemony tang. Unlike wild sorrel this Belleville strain is far slower to bolt and produces larger, more succulent leaves — the ones a traditional soupe aux herbes actually wants.

It is among the very first things to come up in spring, offering a burst of citrus when the rest of the vegetable patch is still asleep. Young leaves go into a salad; mature ones are used like spinach in soups and sauces, where the acidity cuts through salmon, eggs and cream.

One plant crops for five years or more, so it is worth a permanent corner. A note on eating it: sorrel is high in oxalic acid, which is what gives it the sharpness. It is fine in normal quantities but worth moderating if you have a history of kidney stones.