Spinach may not be top of mind as a favorite veggie for some, however, it’s always been a favorite veggie on the farm for us. We created this special spinach blog to help you eat in season with us, enjoy the fresh taste and delicious flavor, and realize that the sky’s the limit for your culinary creations when using this powerhouse green veggie. Our Culinary and Educational Specialist has crafted many helpful suggestions to make your introduction or re-introduction to spinach a breeze! Continuing reading for more tips! 

Spinach as a Powerhouse Veggie

Spinach is considered by many health experts to be a powerhouse veggie due to its abundant nutritional value along with antioxidants. Spinach is said to be full of nutrient dense vitamins and minerals as well as a good source of iron and fiber, touted to have many health benefits for the body. We also like how easy spinach is to complement a variety of dishes while also adding a pop of color and visual appeal. 

Spinach Now In Season 

We are currently harvesting fresh picked spinach on our farm at this time of year for a variety of consumption applications. Freshly picked spinach is one of the first veggies grown & harvested for our CSA members,  it’s for sale in our market, farm stands and farmers markets, and you will see our farm kitchen team utilizing our spinach into prepared foods for sale in our farm store.  Freshly picked homegrown spinach leaves are so tender and they are best eaten raw. The best time to easily incorporate this powerhouse veggie into your daily diet is now while it is in season. 

Handling & Storing Spinach 

Resist washing spinach until you’re ready to use it, as moisture will make it go bad more quickly. It needs to be washed several times to remove any sand or dirt from the fields. The best method we find is to fill your sink with shallow water, dip your spinach leaves side down into the water, drain sink,  rinse again until the water is clear. To store spinach, wrap it in a paper towel, covered with a plastic bag and refrigerate. As we stated previously, spinach is best eaten right away, however, if you need to save it until later,  it will keep for 3 to 5 days when stored in this manner. Don’t throw away wilted spinach, it can be frozen and used in egg dishes, smoothies and other foods.

Preparing Spinach

Spinach is so versatile and can be adapted to a variety of dishes by simply replacing spinach for lettuce or other greens in your favorite recipes. Here are a few suggestions to easily make when you have an abundance of spinach; wilted spinach salad, creamed spinach, stir fry spinach and protein , sautéed spinach with garlic, shallots and onions as a side dish or as a bed under chicken, fish, sliced steak. Easily mix spinach into eggs for omelets or use as a filling for a vegetarian omelet, wilt spinach by adding it last into soups, stews or sauces. You can also try making traditional recipes that call for spinach as the star ingredient such as; Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Feta Pie), Palak Paneer (spinach and cheese) or Dal Palak (aka spinach and lentils) to name a few.  You can also add spinach to quiches, smoothies or the ricotta cheese layer of lasagna for an extra veggie boost. 

Try preparing this Alstede Fresh spinach wrap where our spinach and our homemade hummus play starring roles. Click here to obtain the recipe. 

We can’t wait to see what great feasts you prepare in your own kitchen! 

Best wishes from our Farm Kitchen to yours!