Leafy Versatility

Spinach, believed to have originated in or near Iran, began spreading east and west centuries ago. There’s a record of the king of Nepal making a gift of spinach plants to the emperor of China during the Han period, about 200 BC. It came to Europe by way of Moorish Spain during the Middle Ages. Today, it figures in cuisines around the world, a testimonial to its nutritional value and versatility.

In France, spinach has been likened to bee’s wax for its ability to accept the cook’s imprint without asserting its own personality. (I would simply call it obliging.) When garlic is added, the astringent character of spinach becomes more assertive, and this most delicate of leaf vegetables can hold its own on, say, a platter of highly flavored Sicilian antipasti.

Spinach goes well with salty soy sauces and pungent ginger in East Asian cuisines. The intriguingly sour combination of spinach and sorrel was a favorite of my grandmother’s. The villagers of Toulon, in the south of France, prepare a variation on the classic regional sweet chard pie using spinach.

Spinach is even good raw. For salads, choose the youngest spinach you can find. The variety I use grows in cooler weather, and this month is the best of the year to find it. The leaves are tender and generally lighter in color than the summer spinach varieties. Try a green market or grow your own from seeds.

When you cook spinach, do so quickly; it becomes a gaseous, swampy “mess-of-a-thang” when it cooks too long. Use a large, heavy skillet over intense heat. The whole operation should take barely a minute; as soon as the spinach wilts, it’s cooked.

Even creamed spinach shouldn’t cook for a long time. Make a white sauce in a large skillet, add chopped fresh, uncooked spinach and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes.

For soup, spinach can cook longer, but you want thicker, meatier leaves, either a Japanese spinach, which is usually spicier than others, or more mature spinach. In either case, completely trim the stringy stems from the leaves.

Spinach has fallen victim to its own popularity. It’s one of the most common frozen vegetables, although its flavor and consistency suffer greatly in freezing. Since it’s annoying to clean, it’s often sold ready-washed in plastic bags, but it will have lost any charm it may have had when harvested. To wash your own spinach, fill a sink with cold water, add the spinach and agitate the water. Remove the leaves and drain them. Repeat two more times.

It has been said that it takes a great chef to do justice to such a delicate vegetable. I say no. Simplicity and common sense, two of the most important attributes of a good cook, are all that’s needed. Oh, and some well-brought-up spinach too.

CREAM OF SPINACH AND SORREL SOUP

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, minced

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds spinach, stems removed, leaves chopped

1 cup creme fraiche or whipping cream

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 bunches sorrel, center stems removed, leaves chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat butter in soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour to form paste. Slowly add broth, stirring constantly until smooth. Add bay leaves, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to boil. Remove cover. Decrease heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Add spinach, creme fraiche and bread crumbs and cook 10 minutes. Add sorrel and cheese and cook 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

440 calories; 1,609 mg sodium; 111 mg cholesterol; 35 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 2.33 grams fiber.

SPINACH AND TOMATO SALAD WITH BACON AND WARM BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

4 large beefsteak tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 onions, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

6 cups cleaned baby spinach leaves

4 poached eggs

12 thick bacon rashers, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

8 thin rounds French bread

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 pound blue cheese, crumbled

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

Remove stem from tomatoes and make X-shaped cut through skin of bottom. Plunge tomatoes into boiling water. When water returns to boil, remove tomatoes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skins, which should peel off easily. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out and discard seeds. Quarter each tomato half and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in small saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Arrange spinach on plates and arrange tomato mixture on top. Garnish each salad with 1 poached egg.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in skillet. Add bacon and cook, stirring, about 4 minutes. Add bread and cook 1 minute or until golden. Stir bacon and cook 1 minute longer. Arrange 2 slices bread on each salad.

Pour vinegar into pan. Add cheese and cook 30 seconds. Season with 1 grind of pepper mill. Taste and add salt if desired. Spoon dressing, cheese and bacon over 4 prepared plates and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

619 calories; 1,465 mg sodium; 267 mg cholesterol; 43 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 1.91 grams fiber.

ASIAN SPINACH AND CHICKEN SALAD

6 cups baby spinach leaves, stems trimmed

1 1/4 pounds chicken tenderloin or boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup oil

3 tablespoons peanuts

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons finely chopped ginger root

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

Wash spinach and dry in salad spinner. Set aside. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch slices.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in wok or large heavy skillet. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost done, about 3 minutes. Add peanuts, garlic and ginger root and cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Pour over spinach leaves and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

396 calories; 1,122 mg sodium; 42 mg cholesterol; 33 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 1.19 grams fiber.

SAUTEED GARLIC SPINACH

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

2 anchovy fillets, chopped, optional

2 pounds spinach, washed, stems removed

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt

Heat oil in large, heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add garlic and anchovies and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add spinach all at once and black pepper and salt. Using 2 large forks, immediately begin turning spinach over as if you were tossing a salad. As soon as most of spinach is wilted, remove from heat.

To serve hot, transfer spinach to serving bowl and serve immediately. To serve at room temperature, transfer spinach to colander with plate underneath to catch juices. Let cool before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

145 calories; 254 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 2.09 grams fiber.