Grow Your Own Spinach

This spinach was planted last August. It grew through the fall and then through the freezing winter. It popped up through snow, survived underneath the wintry ice, and is continuing to produce leaves this spring!

It's not only a hearty crop, it's easy to grow.

This University of Illinois Extension web site contains in depth information on spinach varieties and information on growing spinach, as well as selection, storage and frequently asked questions about your new favorite green

Spinach Salad and A Kitchen Note

Simple Spinach Salad

4 cups flat spinach (washed and dried with stems snipped off)
1 2.2 oz. can sliced ripe (black) olives
4 oz. part skim mozzarella cheese

Place one cup of spinach on each of four plates. Shred or cube mozzarella cheese and add 1 oz. of cheese to each salad. Divide ripe olives among the four salads. Drizzle the olive juice onto salads as a dressing and serve.



Kitchen Note:

I hope you've tried and enjoyed this healthy spinach salad!

If you didn't try it merely because you don't like black olives or mozzarella cheese, this might be a good time to tell you that any recipe offered can be altered to your liking. Prefer green olives? Then use them! Don't like onions? Scratch them from the recipe!

Cooking isn't about following recipes to the T so we'll all get the exact same result. It's using a recipe as an guide. Changing it to suit your taste preferences is fine. Feel free to go wild and don't ever be afraid to experiment in the kitchen!

Pasta with Vegetable and Spinach Sauce

Pasta with Vegetable and Spinach Sauce

1 lb. any pasta of your choice
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 Roma tomatoes (they’re the firm, oval ones)
1 purple onion
2 cups curly spinach (washed and dried with stems snipped off)
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. dried (or ¼ fresh) dark opal basil
Parmesan cheese

Dice Roma tomatoes and onion. Put aside. Pour 2 tbs. olive oil into a large frying pan. Layer the onions, tomatoes and spinach (in no particular order) into the pan with olive oil. Add broth and basil. Simmer on medium, stirring occasionally, while you make the pasta. Cook pasta via directions until al dente. Strain pasta and put into a large serving bowl. Turn off the simmering vegetable sauce. Carefully spoon the sauce over the pasta.
Serve family style. Individuals can add cheese to taste.

Note: For a vegetarian option, replace the chicken broth with 2 cups of water and ½ tsp. each of dried thyme, rosemary and sage. For a vegan option, follow the vegetarian option and skip the cheese.