Spinach
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Season: Home grown, best from May to October Very green and very good for you, spinach is packed with vitamin C. What you need to be most aware of is that spinach contains a great deal of water, so what looks like a huge amount won't be when it's cooked.
To prepare spinach: Fresh spinach can be rather dusty or muddy. The best way to deal with this is to pick out and discard any damaged or brown leaves and remove any tough stalks, fill the sink with cold water, then plunge the spinach in the water and swirl the leaves around. Do this in two or three changes of water, then let it all drain in a colander, shaking it well over the sink. Young spinach leaves can be wiped and used raw in a delicious salad.
To cook spinach: Absolutely no water ever. For 1 lb (450 g) of spinach leaves, melt ½ oz (10 g) of butter in a large, thick-based saucepan, then keeping the heat at medium, pack the spinach leaves in. Add some salt, put on a tight-fitting lid and let it cook for about 30 seconds, then take the lid off and you'll find the spinach has collapsed down into the butter. Give it a stir, so that the top leaves get pushed down to the base of the pan, replace the lid and give it another 30 seconds or so, shaking the pan a couple of times. I find the whole operation takes less than 2 minutes.
Next, drain the spinach in a colander, pressing it well with a saucer to get rid of any excess water. You can now return it to the pan and add seasoning: spinach is enhanced beautifully with a little cream or crème fraîche. It also, like cauliflower, has an affinity with nutmeg, so season with salt and freshly milled black pepper and a few gratings of whole nutmeg.
Spinach as a vegetable goes beautifully with smoked haddock. If you're serving spinach as a vegetable you will need 8 oz (225 g) per person.
Serves 2Spinach and Egg Kari with Fresh Tomato and Red Onion Chutney
An authentic ready-made curry sauce gives this recipe plenty of Bengali flavour, while the spinach and eggs make it nutritionally excellent. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will love this spicy yet low-fat curry.
Serves 2Madras Eggs and Spinach with Tomato Cachumber
Delia discovered a wonderful Madras sauce that makes easy work of this lovely vegetarian curry, accompanied by a type of chutney that's one of Delia's favourites! Use peas or leeks instead of spinach, if you prefer.
Serves 2Pancake Cannelloni with Spinach and Three Cheeses
Lovely lacy savoury pancakes by mail order form the basis of this sumptuous vegetarian dish, a cannelloni that's packed with flavour and nutritious ingredients.
Serves 2A Fricassee of Eggs with Spinach and Fiorentina Sauce
Good-quality fresh sauces are a boon for the busy cook. In this lovely vegetarian recipe Delia combines a spinach and cheese sauce with freshly cooked eggs and leafy spinach for a meat-free treat.
Serves 2Eggs with Cheese and Spinach Sauce
That classic sauce - Fiorentina - made with cheese and spinach comes into play here then is used to top hard-boiled eggs, a quick, cheap and easy vegetarian supper. Serve it with rice if you're really hungry, or crusty bread.
