Crops & Varieties: Spinach
Spinach growing
Thick, sweet and flavorful, many say our spinach is the best they've ever had. Great for juicing, smoothies, and even, believe it or not, traditional spinach dishes.
Quick tips
Don’t use aluminum cookware for heating spinach, as spinach contains a compound that reacts with aluminum, making the spinach taste like metal.
Our hearty, thick spinach is great as a snack or for dipping in hummus or dressing.
Sweet cold-weather spinach tastes great in smoothies. Mix lots of spinach with a little milk and a fruit of your choice (both peaches and blueberries are great, but use almost any fruit). You might want to add some sugar or agave nectar to amplify the sweetness.
Toss spinach into almost anything just before taking it off the heat: soups, stir-fries, potato dishes, etc.
Replace basil with spinach for a delicious pesto.
Use large, raw spinach leaves as a wrap for burritos or with any other kind of stuffing as a sandwich.
Storage
Like most greens, wrap in a damp paper towel and store in partly-open (unsealed) plastic bag in your refrigerator’s produce drawer. For best flavor, use within a week; most of our spinach may keep longer than that if handled carefully.
Though the leaves are thick, they are prone to damage, so handle spinach carefully to prevent breaking and bruising.
To freeze, blanch spinach in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, shock in ice cold water, drain, and place into freezer-safe bags. It’s a good idea to place the bag flat on a tray while freezing to avoid ending up with a big, dense hunk of spinach.
Recipes:
From our Newsletter Archives: Spinach-walnut pesto
Choosy Beggars: Saag Tofu (need to page down a bit, but the recipe is great)
101 Cookbooks: Saag Paneer
Woodfired Kitchen: Spinach balls
Food Network: Savory Spinach and Artichoke Stuffing
Preserving the Soul (CSA member Ben S.): Red Rain Ravioli / Spinach Filling/Dip
The Kitchn: Five Ways to Eat Spinach
The Healthy Family and Home: Raw Spinach and Avocado Dip
Baking Bites: Crustless Spinach, Onion and Feta Quiche
Steamy Kitchen: Greek Style Mac & Cheese
101 Cookbooks: Spiced Coconut Spinach
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Spinach and Egg Quesadilla
101 Cookbooks: Vegan Spinach Mushroom Quiche
Not Without Salt: Harissa Chickpeas and Spinach
Sweet Amandine: Spinach Cake
Preparation types & times
| Blanching: | 30-60 secs |
| Microwaving: | 4-5 mins |
| Sauteing: | 2-5 mins |
| Steaming: | 3-5 mins depending on quantity |
| Stir Frying: | 4-6 mins |
