Popeyed at the thought
Everyone knew it was chock-full of the vital vitamins and minerals, particularly iron, which is essential for healthy growth: after all, look what spinach did for Popeye; he could wipe out all-comers and win the adulation of Olive Oyl after he had glugged down a can of spinach.
Some adults have erased and overcome their childhood experience, but others won't ever again allow a mouthful of spinach to pass their lips.
Now we hear all the suffering was for nought you've guessed it, apparently current wisdom has it that too much spinach is bad for children because it contains too much oxalic acid.
So, there you are. Well, never mind, as far as I'm concerned a little of what you fancy always does you good, and many French, Italian, Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern cooks rate spinach as the best of the leaf vegetables. Its popularity has stood the test of time.
The first reference to it was in 647, the year the great T'ang Emperor T'ai Tsung requested his tributary rulers to send him the best plants their country grew: the King of Nepal sent him spinach, which had recently been introduced from Persia and was causing a stir.
There are two main types of spinach: summer spinach and perpetual spinach. The texture of the former is tender and has a finer flavour, but the latter has the advantage of continuously growing: the more you pick the more it grows. It can also stand extremes of heat and frost, and doesn't bolt at the end of the summer, like the annual spinach.
Its flavour is stronger and its texture is coarser. It is worth growing as a stand-by, as are its cousins, Swiss Chard and Ruby Chard. We use spinach not only as a vegetable, but for soups, in green salads and salade tiede, in savoury tarts and quiches, roulades, frittatas and in a thick Middle Eastern omelette, called Kuku. It is fun to use blanched leaves to line ramekins for warm mousses, or to wrap around rough country pates. Baby spinach leaves are perfect for salads and wilted greens.
Serves 20 as a starter, 10 as a main course makes two loaves of pâté
This terrine tastes different every time we make it, depending on the variety of herbs used. It should be highly seasoned before it is cooked, otherwise it may taste bland when cold. Use organically produced spinach, meat and herbs if possible.
12 lbs (675g) spinach (weight after large stalk is removed)
2 ozs (15g/stick) butter
8 ozs (225g) medium onion, finely chopped
2 lbs (900g) nice, fat streaky pork
8 ozs (225g) pig's liver
6 ozs (170g) smoked lean bacon
6 ozs (170g) unsmoked streaky bacon
2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
2 free range eggs
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and grated nutmeg to taste
4 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram, parsley and chives
2 terrines, 7½ x 5½ inch (19 x 13.5cm) or two 8 x 4 inch (20.5 x 10cm) loaf tins.
Mince the meat. String the spinach leaves, wash and drain. Put into a heavy saucepan on a very low heat, season and cover tightly. After a few minutes, stir and replace the lid. As soon as the spinach is cooked (5 8 mins approx) strain off the copious amount of liquid that spinach releases and press until dry. Chop the spinach, allow to get cold. Melt the butter on a gentle heat, add the finely chopped onions and sweat until soft, but not coloured. Allow to cool.
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl. Season generously with freshly ground pepper and nutmeg. Fry a tiny piece of the mixture on a pan. Taste and correct seasoning and add salt if necessary. It should taste quite highly seasoned.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4. Divide the mixture between the two terrines or loaf tins, cover with lids or tin foil.
Bake for 1 hour approx in the preheated oven. Remove the cover about 15 minutes before the end of cooking time to allow the top to brown slightly. Serve warm or cold.Serving Suggestions: When we serve this on a buffet we put the whole terrine on a timber board on a bed of crisp and curly lettuces and salad leaves. Then we tuck in a few sprigs of the herbs included in the terrine, preferably in flower pale grey sage with purply-blue flowers, little branches of thyme leaves, some tarragon, flat parsley and perhaps a few chiveflowers when they are in season. The terrine looks wonderfully appetising as it is, but also looks great wrapped in blanched spinach leaves as an alternative presentation.
Serves 6-8
1 lb fresh spinach, stalks removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ozs (110 g) onion, finely chopped
2 scallions with greenery, finely sliced
Salt, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg
2 tablespoons flat parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
4 ozs (110 g) Feta cheese, crumbled or 3 ozs (85 g) Feta and 1 oz (30 g) Parmesan, grated or 2 ozs (55 g) Feta and 2 ozs (55 g) Gruyére, grated
1-2 eggs, preferably free range
6-8 sheets of filo pastry
4 ozs (110 g/1 stick) butter, melted or 150 ml (¼ pint/generous ½ cup) olive oil
Wash and chop the spinach. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, add the finely chopped onion and scallions. Cover and sweat on a low heat until soft but not coloured. Increase the heat, add spinach, toss, season with salt, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg. Add the chopped parsley and dill and continue to cook for 4 or 5 minutes or until spinach is fully cooked.
Turn into a colander and drain and cool. Mix the crumbled Feta and grated cheese with the beaten egg. Add the well drained spinach, taste and correct seasoning. Purée in a food processor for a smooth texture, otherwise use immediately as a more robust filling. To assemble lay one sheet of filo on the work top, brush with melted butter.
Lay a strip of filling about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick along the long side of the sheet of filo, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in from the edge. Roll up and bend into an accordian shape and then roll up into a 'snail'.
Put the 'snail' on the buttered baking sheet, continue to make more 'snails' with the rest of the filo and filling. Brush each one with egg wash and then with melted butter. Bake in a preheated moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for approx 30 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve immediately.
Recipe for gluten-free savoury pastry
8ozs (225g) destalked baby spinach leaves
1oz (30g) butter
10ozs (285g) ricotta
2 eggs, preferably free range, lightly beaten
2 flozs (60ml) cream
2ozs (50g) parmesan, grated (Parmigiano Reggiano preferably)
1oz (30g) pine nuts
1 red pepper, roasted
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 7"(18cm) quiche tin/flan ring
Preheat the oven to 250C/475F /Gas 9.
Firstly, roast the red pepper. Put it on a baking tray, rub with a little olive oil and bake in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes, until it is soft and the skin blisters. Put it in a sealed plastic bag to cool. Peel the pepper and remove the stalk and seeds. Don't wash away the lovely juices.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350f/Gas 4.
Now, make the gluten-free savoury pastry in the usual way (see recipe).
Line the tin with the pastry and bake blind for 20 minutes in a moderate oven. Remove the beans, egg wash the base and return to the oven for a further 2 minutes. This seals the pastry and helps to avoid a soggy bottom!
Serves 6
This mousse makes a delicious vegetarian starter, it can also be served as an accompaniment.
8 fl ozs (250ml) whipping cream
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 lb (450g) spinach
2 ozs (55g) butter
3 eggs
salt, freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
simmer the whipping cream with the garlic for 15 minutes, then leave to cool.
Wash the spinach and remove the stalks. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saute pan, until it turns golden brown. Add the spinach and cook rapidly for about 1 minute, stirring all the time. Put it in a colander to drain off any excess juices leave to cool. Remove the garlic from the cream and discard. Put the cream and spinach into a liquidiser, add the eggs, 2 level teaspoons of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and a good grating of fresh nutmeg, liquidise.
Use the rest of the butter to grease 6 x 3 fl ozs (75ml) ramekins lightly and place a round of paper buttered on both sides in the bottom.
Divide the mousse between the ramekins and cook in a bain-marie lined with kitchen paper with the water reaching to two-thirds of the height of the ramekins. Cover with greaseproof paper and cook at 160C\325F\regulo 3 for 25-40 minutes the mousses should feel firm when lightly pressed.
Run a knife around the ramekins to free the mousses, then turn out on to the plates and remove the round of paper. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6
Here are three different methods of cooking spinach.
2 lbs (900g) fresh Spinach (with stalks removed)
salt, freshly ground pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg
2-4 ozs (55g-110g/2-1 stick) butter
Remove the stalk from each leaf.
Melt a scrap of butter in a wide frying pan, toss in as much spinach as will fit easily, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. As soon as the spinach wilts and becomes tender, strain off excess liquid, increase the heat and add some butter and freshly grated nutmeg. Serve immediately.
Wash the spinach and drain. Put into a heavy saucepan on a very low heat, season and cover tightly. After a few minutes, stir and replace the lid. As soon as the spinach is cooked, about 5-8 minutes, drain off the copious amount of liquid that spinach releases and press out until almost dry. Chop or puree in a food processor if you like a smooth texture. Increase the heat, add butter, correct seasoning and add a little freshly grated nutmeg to taste.
Cook the spinach uncovered in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until soft, 4-5 minutes approx. Drain and press out all the water.
Continue as in method 2. Method 3 produces a brighter coloured spinach.
Food Lovers in Dublin 4 have known about The Butler's Pantry for years yummy takeout food made from carefully sourced seasonal ingredients.
Recently its founder, Eileen Bergin, won the small business award at the inaugural Bord Bia Food and Drink Industry awards.
There are now 3 outlets in the Dublin area: 53, Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin (01) 2885505. 1A, Montpellier Place, Temple Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin (01) 2843944. 97, Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4 (01) 6608490. lThe 2003-2004 edition of the Clare Good Food Guide was launched recently designed to enhance the visitor experience by identifying a range of dining options.
Don't forget to look out for local Cratloe sheep's milk cheese and St Tola goat's milk cheese while in the area.
Wilde's Irish Handmade chocolates from Tuamgraney are also worth making a detour for. email: kehellyo@shannondev.ie
