Alice Waters’s Warm Spinach Salad

Despite being inundated with CSA greens, I found myself returning from the co-op this week with Wellington’s spinach, a big bag of emerald green, crinkly and craggy leaves. I couldn’t resist.

I had a recipe in mind, too, a warm spinach salad I had made years ago, which I had forgotten about, but whose method I love. No surprise, it comes from Chez Panisse Vegetables and calls for gently wilting the spinach in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water. Cool, right?

Last time , I made it Catalan-style, replacing the bacon and toasted breadcrumbs with pine nuts and raisins. What was I thinking? Bacon and breadcrumbs make everything better. Am I right? Am I right?

Have a wonderful weekend, Everyone.

Description

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables

I love Wellington’s spinach, which you can find at the Niskayuna Co-op — so good. CPV notes that medium, slightly more substantial leaves are better for this salad than very delicate tiny ones.

• 2 to 3 eggs
• 1 shallot, minced
• vinegar, white balsamic, sherry, etc. — whatever you have
• pinch salt
• pinch sugar
• olive oil to taste
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• bacon — about four slices, diced
• 1 lb. spinach

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Simmer eggs for 7 minutes, then cool in cold water till serving time.
2. Meanwhile, marinate shallot in vinegar with a pinch of salt and sugar for 10 minutes. Whisk in olive oil to taste, keeping the dressing rather sharp — a 2:1 oil-to-vinegar ratio is good here.
3. Meanwhile, make the bread crumbs: heat the 2 T. olive oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Be careful not to burn them.
4. Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crisp. Save the rendered fat for another use.
5. Wash and lightly dry the spinach leaves. Place them in a large stainless steel bowl and toss lightly with some of the dressing. Mix in bacon and breadcrumbs and season with pepper. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and toss continually with tongs while the salad heats. Use a towel to grip the bowl. Remove when the leaves are just wilted and serve immediately.
6. Peel and quarter eggs, season with salt and pepper, and serve with salad.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: Steam, Sauté
• Cuisine: American

Description

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables

I love Wellington’s spinach, which you can find at the Niskayuna Co-op — so good. CPV notes that medium, slightly more substantial leaves are better for this salad than very delicate tiny ones.

• 2 to 3 eggs
• 1 shallot, minced
• vinegar, white balsamic, sherry, etc. — whatever you have
• pinch salt
• pinch sugar
• olive oil to taste
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• bacon — about four slices, diced
• 1 lb. spinach

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Simmer eggs for 7 minutes, then cool in cold water till serving time.
2. Meanwhile, marinate shallot in vinegar with a pinch of salt and sugar for 10 minutes. Whisk in olive oil to taste, keeping the dressing rather sharp — a 2:1 oil-to-vinegar ratio is good here.
3. Meanwhile, make the bread crumbs: heat the 2 T. olive oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Be careful not to burn them.
4. Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crisp. Save the rendered fat for another use.
5. Wash and lightly dry the spinach leaves. Place them in a large stainless steel bowl and toss lightly with some of the dressing. Mix in bacon and breadcrumbs and season with pepper. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and toss continually with tongs while the salad heats. Use a towel to grip the bowl. Remove when the leaves are just wilted and serve immediately.
6. Peel and quarter eggs, season with salt and pepper, and serve with salad.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: Steam, Sauté
• Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2015/07/18/alice-waters-warm-spinach-salad/

My latest, favorite discovery: Fried Greens Meatlessballs . The recipe comes from Twelve Recipes by Chez Panisse’s Cal Peternell. The beauty of these meatlessballs is that any green can work — turnip, beet, chard, kale , etc. Last week, when no greens arrived, I used the greens from the carrots and the greens from the onions — it worked like a charm. More greens will be arriving today — phew! — and these meatlessballs, seasoned with cumin seeds, garlic, and feta, is a great use for them along with the onions and any of the herbs , though the original recipe calls for cilantro . Find the recipe below. ( Twelve Recipes , by the way, is a beautiful book — love it.)

Description

Adapted from Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell

Notes:

• Any greens—beet, turnip, kale, chard, mustard, etc.—can be used here. I’ve even made these with a mix of the green tops from my CSA carrots and onions.

• I like to give my greens a quick pulse in the food processor. The greens need to be chopped finely at some point, and I find it easier to do it before they are sautéed. You could chop them finely by hand, too.

• If you have garlic scapes, you can purée them in the food processor after you pulse the greens. Use a few tablespoons of the scape purée in place of the garlic. Store the purée in an airtight vessel in the fridge.

• Basil or parsley can be substituted for the cilantro

• 8-10 oz greens, about 10 cups loosely packed, see notes above

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• salt, to taste

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds

• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko

• 1/4 cup crumbled feta

• 1 or 2 eggs

• oil for frying

1. If you haven’t made your bread crumbs yet, purée some stale bread in a food processor first. Transfer to a storage vessel. Set aside. No need to wash the processor.
2. Tear the greens into rough pieces; then pulse them in a food processor or finely chop with a knife—they should be small but not puréed or mushy. Set aside.
3. If you are using garlic scapes, purée them in the food processor, transfer to a storage vessel and set aside.
4. If you are using Swiss chard, remove the leaves from the stems, and finely chop the stems.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil, onion, Swiss chard stems, if using, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, and cook while stirring for 1 minute. Add the garlic or garlic scape purée, and cilantro. Cook for 1 minute more.
6. Add the greens to the pan and sauté for a minute or two, until they have wilted. Turn the mixture into a large bowl.
7. Let cool for five minutes, then add the bread crumbs and feta. Mix well, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper to taste—this is your chance to get the seasoning right while the mixture is egg-free. Crack one egg into the bowl and mix with your hands to incorporate. Squeeze a small ball of the mixture. If it holds together, begin portioning out the remaining mixture into small balls. If it doesn’t hold together, add another egg. I usually find one egg to be enough.
8. The key, I think, before frying, is to really make sure you squeeze the portions into tight balls.
9. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add balls to pan—they should sizzle when they hit the oil—then turn heat down to medium or medium-low. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Use a fork to flip the balls to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes or so.
10. Transfer to a serving platter. Let cool, then taste one. Sprinkle with sea salt if you wish and serve with lemon on the side. These are delicious warm, at room temperature or cold straight from the fridge.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Sauté
• Cuisine: American