Flatbread with French Sorrel, Roasted Cauliflower and Crumbled Goat Cheese

Sorrel has been used since the days of the Egyptian pharaohs and later the ancient Greeks and Romans. It is rich in potassium, vitamins C and A, and believed to aid in digestion.  Common sorrel, rumex acetosa, has thick oblong leaves while French sorrel, rumex scutatus, has smaller, sword-shaped leaves.  Both are high in ascorbic acid, which accounts for their sharp, lemony flavor, although French sorrel is subtler and less pungent than common sorrel.  Sorrel doesn't dry well, but it may be stored in the refrigerator or frozen.  Our sorrel has perennialized in the garden, and seems to grow well in both hot and cold weather.  The plants are well-behaved, forming a clump which increases in width rather than spreading.  Here, the tart lemony flavor of French sorrel combines perfectly with roasted cauliflower and goat cheese.

Flatbread with French Sorrel, Roasted Cauliflower and Crumbled Goat Cheese

Ingredients

1                           Flatbread Dough
1/4          head      cauliflower, broken into florets
5-6                       large French sorrel leaves
2              oz         crumbled goat cheese
                             olive oil
                             sea salt, black pepper
                             bread flour for rolling out dough

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 420° and put pizza stone in oven to start warming up.  Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil and sea salt to lightly coat.  Roast on a sheet pan until golden and dark on edges, about 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to cook evenly.  Remove from oven to cool.
2. Raise temperature of oven to 500°.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to relax at room temperature for 15 minutes.
4. Boil water and blanche sorrel, no more than 1 minute, then drain.
5. Roll out dough on well-floured surface to an 8" circle.  Spread a thin layer of olive oil on dough, then add goat cheese, cauliflower, and sorrel.  You may have extra cauliflower, which you can serve on the side.  Add more goat cheese on top.
6. Bake until done, about 5 minutes.