FOOD -- FEATURE SPOT, RSS Facebook
 By  Staff Reports Published 
8:43 am Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Cooking and gardening with Sam

The hot summer days have really taken a toll on my mini-garden: tomato vines are starting to turn yellow, and the pepper plants are still producing only a few peppers a day. Rainwater is what we need; you can water all day from a hose, but it is not the same. My dad called rainwater, “real water.”
I was thinking about the fall gardens we had on the farm and the wonderful turnip greens, kale and mustard greens that they would plant in late August. They had just a little taste, as the summer greens did; it was getting cooler when they were large enough to eat.
One green that a lot of people did not plant was spinach. Fall spinach has much darker leaves and, to me, a richer taste.
Some spinach varieties bear smooth leaves while others have crinkled, or savoyed, leaves. The ruffling tends to become more pronounced in fall – one reason I prefer the thicker, juicier savored varieties as temperatures drop. The leaves get darker and the flavor more concentrated because the plants convert their starches into sugars to lower their freezing temperature in order to survive the cold.
It is common to have spinach produce beautiful leaves well past frost and, if protected by a cloche or floating row cover, well into winter. The longer days of late spring and summer prompt the plants to bolt, which makes the leaves less flavorful. The key to success with winter spinach is planting the seeds early enough so they reach maturity before the first frost. Depending on the variety, spinach will begin to be ready to harvest in five to eight weeks.
Spinach will keep for weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator, so you may pick and hold for a while. It needs to be washed because of the network of veins and crinkled leaves – savoyed spinach will always need thorough cleaning to wash out every last speck of dirt. With the spinach placed in a large pan, I wash in the sink, run cool water and completely dry. Move the leaves around, and the dirt will fall to the bottom of sink.
Spinach is mostly water, so it will wilt down when cooking. When you think you have a lot, it will wilt down ¾ in size, so you need a lot to feed your family.
I like to cook washed spinach in a skillet very simply. First, put about a tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Add a little onion and some fresh herbs – whatever you have on hand. This is a dish you just make up as you go along. Wilt the spinach with a cover on the skillet, stirring so it will not burn. It’s a very simple and wonderful side dish.
Winter Spinach Sformato
1 teaspoon of butter
1 clove of garlic finely minced
10 ounces spinach washed and drained
1 egg
5 oz. of firm tofu
1-1/2 cups of whole milk
½ cup of parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
Preheat oven. In skillet, add butter and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the spinach, a handful at a time, and cook 3 minutes.
In blender, place tofu, milk and cheese and puree until smooth.
Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Makes 3-1/2 cups.
Spray ramekins; pour in batter; place on pan with a little water on bottom. Bake 35-40 minutes; cool and garnish with fresh herbs.
Enjoy cooking,
Sam

Also on Franklin County Times
Thorpe to play at Blue Mountain Christian
High School Sports, News, Russellville, ...
Brannon King For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Brennon Thorpe made his plans official to attend Blue Mountain Christian University and play baseball for the Toppers during a recent s...
Russellville High Class of 1967 gathers, reminisces
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
July 16, 2025
You can’t really go back to the good old days of high school, but you can pay them a visit now and then. That’s exactly what the RHS Class of 1967 has...
Former Cypress Lakes official to lead Guntersville State Park
Lifestyles, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
GUNTERSVILLE — Heath Puckett had an Auburn University degree and golf course superintendent certification in his pocket when he arrived at Cypress Lak...
European travel builds bonds across cultures
Lifestyles, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- A group of Franklin County travelers spent nine days this summer walking through catacombs, exploring castles and standing in places w...
Little Free Library welcomes readers in East Franklin
Lifestyles, News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Eleven-year-old Aiden Hall is an avid reader, but he doesn’t just want to read books. He also wants to share them, and the way he deci...
King becomes elementary curriculum director
Lifestyles, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELVILLE — Molly King says every child can learn, though not necessarily in the same way or on the same day — a belief she plans to carry into her ...
New Junior Leaders begin their training
Franklin County, News
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
FRANKLIN COUNTY — Forty-two high school students from across Franklin County are beginning 10 months of hands-on leadership training and community ser...
Fire destroys 2-story garage, guest suite
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
R U S S E L LV I L L E – Jason Gist leaned against the wall of his home with a look of disgust while dozens of firefighters worked to extinguish a fir...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Stories
July 4, 2025Augusto Simon Diaz, 42, of Russellville, passed away July 4. Visitation and funeral were held at Spry Memorial Chapel on July 12 from 2pm ...
July 16, 2025
July 8, 2025Jamie Kerby Cummings, 41, of Russellville, passed away on July 8. Visitation took place July 13, at Spry Memorial Chapel from 1 pm to 3pm....
July 16, 2025
July 11,2025Julie “JuJu” Welch Black, 63, of Russellville, passed away on July 11.Graveside service was held at 1pm on July 13, at Belgreen Cemetery w...
July 16, 2025
July 9, 2025Scott Noel Benford, age 58, of Muscle Shoals, passed away on July 9. Visitation was held at Pinkard Funeral Home in Russellville on July 1...
July 16, 2025