Spinach and spinach beet.

[jayjay giant]

I had never grown any spinach or spinach beet before this year so i decided to do a 4 ft row of each in my raised beds.
I now have enough of each to feed an army !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Has anyone got any good quick and easy recepie ideas for it ?
Poached egg and steamed spinach is nice, but when its for times a week it becomes a bit of a drag !

[shoreham_steve]

Spinnach goes really well with cheese. Lightly steamed or melted down in a pan with olive oil or butter, makes a bed for slices of grilled haloumi.
Also great with fetta or any soft cheese for that matter. Melts down well on home made pizzas. Try sag alloo with your own grown spuds too !
Don't forget, uncooked in salads or sarnies.

[FionaH]

I googled and made a saag alloo recipe the other day. Spinach and potato curry, yummy

[Alison]

It's really nice with mushrooms in a lasagna - had it last week and it was yummy

[indigox]

It's also nice in soups, I use chicken stock, add moroccan spices, chickpeas and maybe some tomatoes, then add spinach right at the end.
I also chop it up and stir through rice, even the kids love this, or fry it with garlic and ginger (I use the ready squished paste from a jar), this is really quick, aromatic and tasty.

[Farmer_Gyles]

use small young leaves up to a couple of inches fresh in salads
chop bigger leaves, boil them for a couple of minutes, squeeze the water out and squeeze the spinach into balls or into cells of an ice cube tray and freeze them for later use

my son loves a very simple beef and spinach curry
chop and fry an onion
dice and brown some beef
add a couple of teaspoons of curry powder and cook for few mins
add a pint or so of beef stock and allow to simmer for 45 mins until beef is tender
add spinach (same amount as beef) and cook for a few more mins (chuck the lumps of frozen spinach in if you want but cook till hot)
job done

[zazen999]

In a salad style, my first taste was with apricot, caramelised baby onions, and avocado; with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and mustard dressing. Lovely.

[singleseeder]

Can I ask some advice about spinach / spinach beet please? Having heard it can be prone to bolting, will it tolerate being grown in modules or pots before being planted out?

My garden soil is very heavy - I'm growing all my veg in containers or the flower borders at the moment, (not sure what the neighbours think of the beetroot in the front garden!). This is my first year in the garden and I'm watching the sun (and shade) and seeing what comes up in the borders before I decide where to put a veggie patch and greenhouse of some sort.

If it will tolerate being planted out, will it be best in GP compost in containers or in the borders do you think?

[Lemon]

Can I ask some advice about spinach / spinach beet please? Having heard it can be prone to bolting, will it tolerate being grown in modules or pots before being planted out?

My garden soil is very heavy - I'm growing all my veg in containers or the flower borders at the moment, (not sure what the neighbours think of the beetroot in the front garden!). This is my first year in the garden and I'm watching the sun (and shade) and seeing what comes up in the borders before I decide where to put a veggie patch and greenhouse of some sort.

If it will tolerate being planted out, will it be best in GP compost in containers or in the borders do you think?

I think the bolting is due to too much heat. They will grow in a container of compost as I did that the first year we were here and we hadn't built veg beds yet. I did a few things in containers. You just have to keep an eye on them more regularly as they dry out quicker than being in ground.

By the way, I think beetroot leaves are very pretty but mine are in alternating rows with the kohl rabi out back! Saying that, I am contemplating putting some pumpkins in the front garden with a cane wigwam to train them! They may be crown prince.

[FionaH]

For what it is worth I started my spinach beet in module for the last two years, and it has gone great guns

[singleseeder]

It won't be as hot up here as Stevenage and Haslemere so I will give it a try.

Thanks.

[Alison]

Spinach and spinach beet are totally different plants (although tasting a bit similar), I've found that spinach can bolt quite easily in hot weather but have never had any problems with spinach beet.

Grow both in modules by the way and then plant out at the required spacing.

[relokate]

spinach overgrowth

Hi i also have massess of it Also now rocket and watercress which I prefer so
I just keep cutting the spinach wash and steam chop it then freeze it in old plastic tubs will make great green stock at the very least all over the winter.
Other ideas in omettes in canalloni tubes with ricotta, with rice and ham. hope that helps

[OllieMartin]

I just made this recipe from allrecipes.com, was very simple, only takes about 10 minutes and was a great lunch.


INGREDIENTS
455 g seashell pasta
284 g frozen chopped spinach
30 ml olive oil
7 cloves garlic, minced
2 g dried red pepper flakes (optional)
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and spinach and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente; drain and reserve.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; saute for 5 minutes or until the garlic turns light gold. Add cooked pasta and spinach to the skillet and mix well. Season with salt and toss; serve.

[hamsterqueen]

I made a very quick and tasty curry side dish at the weekend.

Heat oil in pan, add cumin seed suntil they pop,fry finely chopped onion, ginger and garlic , add some curry paste and bayleaf, mushrooms , chopped tomatoes and the spinach beet,

add garam masala and grate a small amount of coconut cream into it, mix well
Was lovely!