Not Just for Popeye Anymore

Not Just for Popeye Anymore

THERE ARE FOODS you eat once in a while, for pleasure or duty, and there are foods you can live on. For me, spinach fits the latter category.

Any time I can get my hands on reasonably priced fresh spinach, or have it available in the garden, I craft meals around the curly, dark green leaves: spinach salads, spinach-basil omelets, cheese & spinach squares, spinach lasagna, Greek stew (a thick casserole of potatoes, onions, bacon, spinach, and cheese), popovers, creamy spinach soup, and—of course—plain steamed spinach. I put the prettiest leaves whole on sandwiches, and munch the pink-tinged stems while cleaning the leaves for cooking.

Food historians tell us spinach was first cultivated in Persia in the fourth century. From there it has spread to many countries and cuisines. Add the word Florentine (a tradition that has come to us from Italy via France) when naming any spinach dish and it will sound like you have spent hours in the kitchen!

But, on the contrary, spinach dishes are not time consuming. Like most vegetables, spinach should be cooked minimally in order to preserve its many vitamins and minerals (A, C, calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium). A brief steaming to wilt the stiffness out of the leaves is all that is necessary to prepare it for eating plain or in a spinach-based recipe.

The most time-consuming task with spinach is washing out the grit, which can be a formidable job requiring two or three washings. Try using lukewarm water with a little salt, a tip I learned just recently.

Two of the most tattered cards in my recipe box are for the dishes printed here. Please enjoy!

Spinach & Cheese Squares

• 4 TBSP melted butter or margarine
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 lbs. fresh spinach or two 10 oz. packages frozen spinach
• 1 lb. grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (I have on occasion used half this amount of cheese with no effect on the taste or consistency.)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (optional)

  Saute onions in part of the butter or margarine. Add the remaining butter and the next five ingredients to make a batter. Cook the spinach and drain very well. Mix the spinach, batter, and cheese in a bowl. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until lightly browned.

  Cool slightly and cut into squares. Serves four as a main dish, eight as an appetizer.

Spinach Apple Salad

• 2 lbs. fresh spinach
• 3 red apples
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 1/2 cup dry roasted Spanish peanuts
• 2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

Dressing. Combine the following and let stand at room temperature several hours to blend flavors:

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 2/3 cups peanut oil
• 2 TBSP chutney (Make your own with 1 TBSP plum or other fruit jam; 1 tsp vinegar; 1 tsp brown sugar; 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger; and a sprinkle of cloves, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Heat all ingredients together briefly in a small saucepan.)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce

  To serve, wash spinach and break into bite-sized pieces. Core and dice apples. In a large bowl combine apples, spinach, peanuts, raisins, onion, and sesame seed. Shake or stir dressing well, pour over salad, and toss lightly.

  Serves up to eight people.

  Carey Burkett was an organic vegetable farmer in Hallettsville, Texas when this article appeared.