Spinach

Season: Year-round

Storage: The best way to store spinach is to wash it, completely dry it (water causes the spinach to degrade), and then place in a hard container with a dry paper towel in-between the spinach and the container. Then place in the fridge.

Other Names: There are over 10 different types of spinach! These include Savory Spinach, Regiment Spinach, Bloomsdale Spinach, Tyee, Catalina, Teton, Indian Summer, Space Spinach, Red Cardinal Spinach, Malabar Spinach, & Water Spinach!

Originating in the highlands of ancient Persia, spinach is a member of the Amaranthaceae family. This beloved leafy green was famously a favorite of Catherine de Medici, a 16th-century French queen, who requested the dish every day. Today, spinach is a staple in cuisines throughout the world. Eat it in a fresh in a salad or smoothie, or cook it into a palak paneer, sautéed with butter or oil, or any other way you enjoy greens! Pro-tip: while local spinach can be hard to find, consider substituting chard – an equally nutritious and delicious leafy green – in any of favorite spinach dishes!

Get local spinach by joining our Farm Share or shopping at farmer’s markets, then share your favorite preparations through our Facebook page.

French Sorrel and Swiss Chard Quiche

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs slightly beaten

  • 1 pint cream

  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese & Mozzarella Cheese

  • 2 cups fresh picked sorrel and chard leaves. Fresh spinach may also be used.

  • 1 medium onion chopped

  • 1 clove garlic minced

  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning or any other herb blend

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp pepper

  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

  • 1/2 tsp paprika

  • 1/4 cup sesame seed

  • 1 pie shell

Instructions

  • Cook greens for 1 minute. Drain and squeeze excel liquid from greens. Blend with remaining ingredients except sesame seed.Sprinkle 1/2 the sesame seed in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour filling into shell. Sprinkle with reserved cheese and remaining sesame seed on top.Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes and reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until done.

Spinach Smoothie with Avocado and Apple

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups apple juice

  • 2 cups spinach, Malabar spinach, or kale, stems removed

  • 1 apple- cored and chopped- recipe calls for it peeled*

  • ½ avocado, chopped

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Add water to make smoothie a little thinner.

  • Recipe calls for unpeeled apple, but this leaves little bits of apple skin in the smoothie.

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