good spinach

Spinach had always been a difficult vegetable for me.

Oh, I understood it was full of vitamins, it offered Popeye superhuman strength, and it was probably something I should eat more often.

But I had just had too much bad spinach. Wilted, soggy, cold spinach with a strange odour. Ew.

Until I saw the light. The golden yellow light, that is.

Butter.

For this revelation, I have my husband to thank. He taught me that spinach holds the possibility to become delicious in its deep-green vegetable heart.

Here’s how: add butter, salt and pepper. (I know. I’m also a bit shocked I didn’t think of this before.)

Would you like more specific instructions?

good spinach

Rinse the spinach in a colander.

Pour an inch or two of water into a small pot. Bring it to a boil. Salt the water, if you like.

Add the spinach. Simmer, partially covered, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it’s deep-green and softened.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop the spinach onto a plate. Put a dollop of butter on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Eat before it gets cold.

This post is part of Fall Fest 2010, which is a community food blogging event to write about (and eat!) seasonal produce. If you’d like to see other Fall Fest recipes for spinach, try these:

A Way to Garden: Why I plant spinach late, and other tasty tidbits 

The Wright Recipes: Spinach Rotolo, a rolled ricotta and pasta extravaganza
Sweetnicks: Spinach Egg Breakfast Cup
Gilded Fork: Spicy Artichoke Spinach Dip, and a Dossier on Spinach
Simmer Till Done: Spanakopita Scones
Eating from the Ground Up: Spicy Indian Lentil Soup with Spinach
Healthy Eats: Mini Spinach-Mushroom Quiche
Food2: Spinach Artichoke Dip
Cooking Channel: Paneer With Spinach
FN Dish: Everyday Spinach Dishes with Giada
Food Network UK: Eggs florentine, brunch of champions

If you'd like to join the festival, leave your comment or recipe about spinach on my blog and the others' blogs. The idea is to get everyone talking about what's ripe right now and how we can eat it.