Conscious Choice: Sophisticated Spinach

June 2001 | Cooking with the Seasons

Sophisticated Spinach

by Terra Brockman

"Eat largely of Spinach."
— John Wesley, Primitive Physick, 1747

Echoes of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church and holistic healer, have tormented generations. For many baby boomers and post-boomers, the constant refrain of "Eat your spinach! It’s good for you!" and the green glob of processed, canned, or frozen vegetable that accompanied the words, led to life-long spinach avoidance. Well, now is the time, if you haven’t already, to overcome your spinach phobia. A good way to start is to think of spinach not as a dull vegetable, but as an exotic and sophisticated one.

Granted, "sophisticated" is probably not the first word that comes to mind when most people think of spinach. But if you refer to a dictionary, you’ll find that sophisticated means "worldly" and "refined," and by that definition, spinach is truly sophisticated. The Persians, who cultivated the leafy green from at least the sixth century, recognized spinach’s sophistication and called it "the prince of vegetables." Soon the prince came to be embraced by cooks from the Middle East to India to China to France, and even to the United States.

It nearly goes without saying that spinach is good for you. It is high in vitamins A and C, iron, and folate. It is also a good source of fiber and magnesium, and is very low in calories. If that’s not enough to convince you, wine fortified with spinach juice was the healing elixir traditionally given to injured French soldiers. It probably did help them to regenerate lost blood and improve their chances for survival.

But, health reasons aside, the main reason to eat spinach is that it’s in season right now and it’s delicious. Be sure to get some before the hot weather is upon us and the spinach bolts. When it is young and tender, it makes a delicious salad. When slightly older it is excellent cooked briefly in just the water clinging to the washed leaves, then served with lemon, olive oil or butter, and freshly cracked pepper. It is also a natural in an omelet, frittata, or quiche. Or you can go further afield and make some of the worldly and refined recipes below. If you need to persuade any finicky eaters that your spinach dishes are truly sophisticated, feel free to rename them, using the haute cuisine term "à la Florentine," which merely means cooked in the style of Florence — that is, with spinach!

Around the World with Spinach

The coupling of pine nuts and currants is common in Sicilian cooking, and reflects the many centuries of Arab influence in southern Europe. This recipe is adapted from Anna Tasca Lanza’s The Heart of Sicily (Clarkson Potter, 1993).

Fresh Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts and Currants
(Insalata di Spinaci alla Siciliana)

1 pound young, tender spinach leaves
1 large grapefruit
1/4 cup wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup currants (or raisins)
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash the spinach thoroughly and dry it in a salad spinner or gently roll it in a towel. Place in a large salad bowl.

2. Peel the grapefruit and divide into sections. Peel the thin membrane from each section, then press the grapefruit pieces lightly with a fork to extract some of the juices and break them into pieces. Pour the juice into a small bowl and place the grapefruit pieces in the large bowl with the spinach.

3. Whisk the oil and vinegar with the grapefruit juice in the small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the currants. The longer you let them sit in the dressing, the juicier they will be.

4. Just before serving the salad, toast the pine nuts in a hot skillet until golden. Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle on the pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Bihari Breakfast

Bihar is a state in the northwest of India, just south of Nepal and just west of Bengal. Madhur Jaffrey explains that like the Bengalis, the Biharis cook many vegetables with mustard oil. You should seek out this particular oil (at most Indian or specialty stores), but you can also feel free to substitute turnip, mustard, or collard greens for the spinach as the season progresses. Jaffrey says that the Biharis eat this dish for breakfast, accompanied by pooris and tea. If you’re not ready for that sort of a wake-up, try it as a side dish with grilled fish, chicken, or vegetables.

Bihari Cooked Spinach Salad

This recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking (Knopf, 1981)

1-1/2 pounds fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh jalapeño or other green chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons finely minced cilantro
2 Tablespoons mustard oil

1. Wash spinach and place in a pot over moderate heat. Cook for three to five minutes, until wilted. Drain and rinse in cold water. Squeeze out excess water.

2. Place spinach in food processor or blender and mix until smooth. You may add one to two tablespoons water if necessary to get a smooth, but fairly thick paste. Place the spinach in a serving bowl.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, green chili, salt, cilantro, and mustard oil, as you would for a dressing. Pour the mixture over the spinach and mix it in thoroughly.

Catalan Spinach

This recipe is adapted from Janet Fletcher’s Fresh From the Farmer’s Market (Chronicle Books, 1997). Fletcher is attempting to reproduce a spinach dish served at Timo’s, a "funky San Francisco tapas bar." Notice the combination of pine nuts and currants, which reflects the Arab influence in Spain.

1 Tablespoon dried currants
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
2 bunches fresh spinach (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds total)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 dried apricots, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place currants in a small bowl with warm water to cover and let stand thirty minutes to soften. Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

3. Toast pine nuts on a baking sheet until golden, ten to fifteen minutes.

4. Wash spinach thoroughly. Place in a large pot with just the water clinging to the leaves. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until leaves are just wilted, three to five minutes. Drain under cold running water. Squeeze out excess water.

5. Heat olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add garlic and sauté until it colors slightly, about two minutes.

6. Add spinach, tossing to separate the leaves and coat them with oil. Add currants, pine nuts, and dried apricots. Toss to distribute evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is hot throughout, two to three minutes. Serve immediately.

Korean Rice with Bean Sprouts and Spinach

This recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking (Knopf, 1981)

2 cups Japanese rice (or other short-grain, slightly sticky rice)
1/2 pound mung bean sprouts (about 2 cups)
1-1/2 sheets dried seaweed (kim in Korean stores or nori in Japanese stores)
1 medium carrot
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 scallions, cut into fine rounds, including greens
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar

1. Wash the rice in several changes of water. Drain. Place the rice in a bowl with six cups water and let soak for thirty minutes. Empty the rice into a sieve and let it drain for fifteen minutes.

2. Wash and drain the bean sprouts.

3. Wash the spinach and cut crosswise into quarter-inch strips. Sauté the spinach in a pot, using only the water clinging to the leaves. Drain thoroughly, squeezing out as much water as possible.

4. Cut the kim (nori) into strips about three inches long and a quarter-inch wide.

5. Peel the carrot and cut it into matchstick-sized strips.

6. Combine the bean sprouts, spinach, nori, and carrot in a bowl. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, garlic, sesame seeds, and sugar. Mix and set aside for fifteen minutes.

7. Put the drained rice and seasoned vegetables in a heavy three-quart pot. Mix gently. Add two and a half cups water, cover, and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat very low and cook gently for twenty minutes. Turn off the heat and let pot sit, covered, for ten minutes. Serve with a spicy Korean or Chinese hot sauce.

Middle Eastern Yogurt with Spinach and Parsley

This recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking (Knopf, 1981)

Variations of this recipe are found throughout the Middle East. As different greens and other vegetables come into season, feel free to substitute them for the spinach in this recipe.

5 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound fresh spinach
2 cups plain yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and stir for fifteen seconds. Add the parsley and sauté for another fifteen seconds. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool in the skillet.

2. Wash the spinach and place in a pot with only the water clinging to its leaves. Sprinkle with one teaspoon salt and one teaspoon sugar. Cook for about five minutes, until wilted and dark green.

3. Drain and rinse under cold water. Squeeze until fairly dry and then mince finely.

4. Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat lightly until smooth. Add all the ingredients in the skillet, the spinach, and the freshly ground pepper. Mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Terra Brockman is the director of The Land Connection Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving farmland and promoting small-scale, diversified, organic agriculture in Illinois. Visit www.thelandconnection.org or call 309-965-2407 to learn how to get involved.

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