Sauted Spinach with Garlic and Red Pepper

2 TBSP olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 pinches red pepper flakes

2 bunches tender spinach, stems removed, leaves blanched

salt

juice of 1/2 a lemon or a few TSP red wine vinegar

1. Heat the oil with the garlic and pepper flakes ina wide skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic begins to color. Add the cooked spinach and toss to coat it with the oil.

2. Ad 1/2 cup water and cook until its absorbed and greens are heated through. Season with salt and a litte lemon juice or vinegar.

Pasta with fresh spinach, walnuts and gorgonzola cheese

1 TBSP olive oil

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 to lb fresh spinach leaves, cleaned and shredded

6 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

freshly ground black pepper

hot cooked pasta of your choice

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat: add galic and saute until golden. Add spinach, toss and cook until wilted. Stir in walnuts and cheese, toss well until combined. Season with pepper to taste and serve over pasta.

Cherry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

2 tbsp almond oil or olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
2 tbsp fresh chopped terragon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp freshly grated lemon peel
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 large egg
1 tbsp water
11oz goat cheese, molded into soft rounds
6 cups baby spinach or salad mix
1 cup halved pitted cherries (about 7oz whole cherries)
1/2 cup fresh fennel bulb

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Whisk first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper.

Spread almonds on plate. Whisk egg and 1 tbsp water, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Turn cheese rounds in egg mixture, then coat with sliced almonds, covering on all sides. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake goat cheese rounds until warm but not soft, about 10 minutes.

Combine greens, cherries and fennel in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 6 plates. Top each salad with goat cheese and serve.

Pasta with Fresh Spinach, Walnuts & Gorgonzola Cheese

1 tbsp olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 to 1 lb fresh spinach leaves, cleaned and shredded
6 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
freshly ground black pepper
hot cooked pasta of your choice

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat;add garlic and saute until golden. Add spinach; toss and cook until wilted. Stir in walnuts and cheese; toss until well combined. Season with pepper to taste. Serve over pasta

Spinach Leek Frittata

A great recipe from Rolling Prairie Cookbook, written for CSAs

1 tbsp butter
3 leeks, thinly sliced
about 3/4 pound spinach, chopped and washed
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced or 1 tsp dried
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
4 oz gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt and lots of freshly ground pepper
3 cups fresh bread cubes, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (ciabatta of french bread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter ina large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and oregano and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside. Beat the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper together. Stir in the bread cubes and spinach-leek mixture. Mix well. Pour into an oiled 9 inch baking dish. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden and firm. Serves 4 to 6 hungry people!

Asian Spinach Salad

1 lb spinach, trimmed and washed
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
freshly ground pepper to taste

1. steam spinach until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop coarsley.
2. In bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, seeds, garlic, sugar, vinegar and pepper: mix well. Add spinach to sauce, and toss to coat. Serve hot or cold.

Rice with Spinach, Lemon and Dill

Another great recipe from Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. We highly recommend this cookbook!

2 tbsp olive oil, butter or a mixture
1 cup finely chopped scallions, including several inches of the greens
1 cup long-grain white or brown rice
1 large bunch spinach leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped dill
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly milled pepper

Warm the oil and/or butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring frequently until wilted; 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice, spinach, dill, lemon zest and 1/2 tsp salt, cook until the spinach has wilted. If you are using white tice, ass 1 3/4 cups water, for brown rice add 2 1/4 cups/. Bring to a boil then lower the heat, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes for white rice, 30-40 minute for brown. Add the lemon juice and gently loosen the grains with a fork. Cover and let stand for minutes. Season with pepper and serve. You can stir 1/2 cup crumbled feta or 1 cup large-curd cottage cheese.

Serves 4.

Spinach and Walnut Pasta

Comfort food from Cooking Outside the Box by Abel & Cole from England. A great read.

Package of whole wheat fusilli
1 1/2 cups walnuts
4 cups of finely chopped fresh spinach or arugula
a glug of olive oil
3/4 cup grated parmesan
a handful of capers (optional)
a handful of sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put pot of water on to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. While this is cooking, blitz the walnits in a blender or food processor to a breadcrumb consistency and put aside in a bowl. Add the spinach to the pasta pot 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Take a few spoonfuls of the cooking water from the pasta and mix it with the walnuts to create a paste. Add more water little by little until you have a sauce the thickness you like. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain well and then pop it back in the pot. Stir through the walnut paste, the olive oil, half the parmesan, the capers and tomatoes if using. Season well and serve in hot bowls with the rest of the parmesan sprinkled over the top.

Asian Cabbage Salad

From Bon Appetit via epicurious.com

1 hd green cabbage (about .75 pounds very thinly sliced or 10-12 cups)
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp sesame oil

Place cabbage in a very large bowl. Add vinegar, cilantro and and oil. Toss. Season with salt and pepper. Cover: chill for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours, tossing often.

Terry's note: We added sliced spinach, black kale would be good too, red pepper, snap peas and grated carrots for a very colorful salad.

Kale and Spinach with Hazelnuts

1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
4 large cloves garlic, minced
10 cups mixed thinly shredded kale and spinach leaves, washed and drained but not dried
salt and pepper to taste

1. Toast the hazelnuts in an ungreased skillet over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the nuts are darkened in spots, 5-7 minutes. Cool enough to handle, coarsly chop and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or wok. Stir in the onion and garlic and saute over medium head until transluscent, about 5 minutes. Add the greens in batches, stirring them down after each addition, until all are in the pan. Stir-fry until tender, 8-12 minutes, depending on the age of the greens.

Warm Spinach Salad with a Touch of Purple

From Sarah Ingraham, 2009.

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 ts Dijon mustard
a bunch of chive flowers
a handful of chopped chives
salt and pepper

Salad:
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced (optional, could also use tempeh sauteed with tamari)
radishes, sliced into thin rounds

Put olive oil and chive flowers in a pan over medium heat. Saute flowers until wilted. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and bring to a boil. Toss a good handful of spinach in the pan and stir it around for half a minute, then pour it all over the rest of your spinach. Garnish with slices of egg and thin shavings of radish. Salt and pepper on top as needed.

Cheese Tortellini with Garlic

8 oz cheese tortellini
1/3 to 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 lb spinach (chop the big leaves smaller)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. place the nuts, spinach, garlic and olive oil in a large serving bowl. Set aside.
2. Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer into the bowl. Toss, sprinkle the parmesan over the top and serve.

Asian Spinach Salad

1 lb spinach, trimmed and washed
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
freshly ground pepper to taste

1. steam spinach until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop coarsley. 2. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, seeds, garlic, sugar, vinegar and pepper: mix well.

Light Spinach Soup with Basil and Dill

Adapted from Molly Katzen's Vegetable Heaven

2 medium sized russet or other potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into cubes (peeling optional)
2 cups chopped onion
1 heaping teasponn minced garlic
5 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt (or more if preferred)
1 tsp dry mustard
2 lbs fresh spinach cleaned and chopped (up to half can be chard)
1/2 cup fresh minced dill
A small handful of fresh basil leaves (optional, if available)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

OPTIONAL, for the top:
a little yogurt
mild praprika

1. Place the potatoes, onions, garlic, mustard and salt in a soup pot or dutch oven. Bring to a
boil and then cover and simmer very slowly for 20 minutes
2. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup with all its solids, adding the spinach and fresh herbs along the way
3. Return soup to pot and cook very slowly. Add black pepper to taste. Serve hot with a bit of yogurt and dusting of paprika if desired.

Time: 50 minutes (about half of that is active)
Don't substitute dried herbs for fresh, it just wont taste the same
This soup freezes well if kept in an airtight container

Spinach Catalan Style

2 lbs spinach, stems removed, leaves blanched
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, sliced
1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
salt and freshly ground pepper

Coarsely chop the cooked spinach. Warm the oil with the garlic in a wide skillet over medium heat. When the garlic is golden, remove it. Add the raisins and pine nuts and cook until all the raisins are plumped and golden brown. Add greens and cook until they are heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spinachio Pie

1 pie crust dough (search out blog for a great homemade one!)
3 eggs
1 1/2 lbs fresh spinach
8oz cream cheese or ricotta
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup cheddar or parmesan cheese, or a mixture

Pre-heat oven to 400. Roll out pastry and use it to line a greased 8inch pie dish. Prick the base all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes. While the pastry is baking separate one of the egs and whisl the white with a fork. Take the pastry out of the oven. Pour the whisked egg white into the base, swish it around until its covered, put any extra back in the bowl/, then pop the pastry back into the oven for a few minutes to set the egg white. This will stop the pastry from going soggy when you put in the filing. For the filling. For the filling chop spinach roughly and remove coarse stems. Wash it thoroughly, place in a saucepan with a lid (don't add any extra water!), and steam the spinach for 5 minutes. Press steamed spinach against steamer or colander to remove excess liquid. Beat the soft cheese into the remaining eggs and the yolf from the third. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, the spinach, and half the hard cheese. Pour into pastry shell. Sprinkle the remaining hard cheese over the top. Bake the 30 minutes or until set.

Cheese Tortellini with Garlic and Spinach

8oz cheese tortellini
1/3- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 pound spinach, torn or coarsely chopped, washed and drained
4 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place nuts, spinach, garlic, and oil in a large serving bowl. Set aside. Cook totellini according to the directions. Drain and transfer to the bowl. Toss, and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Curried Spinach Soup

From Bon Appetit

1 tbsp olive oil
2 large leeks (white and green parts only) chopped (can substitute 3/4 cup chopped onion)
1 tbsp plu 2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp curry powder
2 small white potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
4 cups packed fresh spinach
2 cups low fat milk

1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and 1 tbsp water; saute until leeks are tender (about 5 minutes). Add curry powder and stir 30 seconds. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups water, potatoes and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer covered until potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). Stir in spinach; simmer until just wilted, about 1 minute. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until almost smooth. Return soup to same saucepan. Add milk and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into four bowls. Whisk yogurt until smooth. Swirl 2 tbsp yogurt into each bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Serves four.

Green Horseradish Sauce

Another great sauce from epicurious!

1/3 fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup chopped arugula leaves
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves (finely chopped)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
6tbsp drained prepared white horseradish
2 1/2 tbsp (or more) dry white wine
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Place spinach, parsley and arugula. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more wine by the tablespoon to thin to desired consistancy. Season with salt and pepper.

This can be made 1 day ahead and be kept, covered, in the fridge.

Spinach salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette

From epicurious. Great for our abundance of spinach and those first beautiful strawberries of spring.

For the marinated apples:
1 cup sliced apples (about 1 apple)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

For strawberry champagne vinaigrette:
1/2 cup sliced hulled strawberries
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
pinch salt

For serving:
4 cups organic spinach leaves (4oz)
4 tbsp crumbled plain goat cheese (2oz)
4 tbsp dried cranberries
4 tsp chopped roasted walnuts

Make Marinated Apples:
In small bowl combine apples slices and apple cider vinegar and marinate, covered, for at least two and up to six hours

Make Champagne Vinaigrette:
Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.

To serve:
In a medium bowl toss spinach with vinaigrette. Mound 1 cup dressed spinach on plate. With a fork or slotted spoon, lift apples from marinade and scatter 1/4 cup over each plate of spinach. Top each salad with 1 tbsp cheese, 1 tbsp cranberries and 1 tsp walnuts.

Serves 4