This Week’s Veg: Spinach
Spinach is usually not a very popular vegetable. In France, it is often associated with the disgusting creamy green purée served with boiled eggs, which you had in school canteens. No wonder why generations of kids are traumatised by spinach! I wonder what it looks like and what reputation it has in other countries…
Because I have only rarely eaten dinners at school when I was a kid, I haven’t been traumatised by spinach and I have always eaten them with great pleasure, even when it is simply cooked with a knob of butter and served with a piece of fish. Dishes don’t need to be complicated to be good, do they?
Well, this week is about spinach. But don’t worry, I’m going to do more than just fry them and I’ve found a couple of great recipes, that I’m sure you’ll like!
Spinach is an annual (or sometimes biennial) plant, which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. The leaves are alternate, simple and very variable in size, with larger leaves at the base of the plant and small leaves higher on the stem.
It is native to central and southwestern Asia and was spread to other areas after the early Muslim conquests. By the 11th century, spinach was a common plant in the Muslim world. It was then introduced to France and other European countries in the 12th century.
It is now cultivated in temperate regions. China is by far the largest producer of spinach with 85% of world output, followed by the United States (3%) and Japan (2%).
There are 3 basic types of spinach:
- Savoy spinach: dark green curly leaves - sold in fresh bunches in most supermarkets.
- Flat or smooth leaf spinach: broad smooth leaves, easier to clean than savoy - often grown for canned and frozen spinach, as well as soups, baby food and processed food.
- Semi-savoy: hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves - grown for both fresh market and processing.
Spinach is known as a rich source of iron and calcium, which is true but has long been over-estimated. Indeed, the iron in spinach is poorly absorbed by the body unless eaten with vitamin C, and the body can absorb only 5% of the calcium in spinach (compared to half the calcium present in broccoli for example). Spinach is also a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium and several antioxidants.
It still has a large nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled.
Recipe ideas
- Spinach & goat’s cheese lasagne
- Spinach & feta pie
- Cod & spinach “cocotte” with almond meringue
- Spinach, barley & squash pie
- Penne with spinach pesto
How do you like spinach? Have you got any recipe suggestions?
(c) photo by Tom Begasse via Flickr
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boil it and eat it with peanut sauce…yum…