Now is the time for lush greens, like spinach
NOW is the time for lush greens, like spinach.
POISED between seasons, one day spring, the next plunged backwards into winter, we're ready to move on, yet summer's full array still lurks in the wings. It's the moment for lush greens, specifically spinach.
When Cutting Board was just a young splinter, last century, spinach was low on her list of loves. These days, however, jewel-dark silverbeet, riotous ruby chard and pale but meaty English spinach open up a whole new universe, from buttery spinach pastries to parmesan-spiced spinach souffle. They don't even need to be cooked.
Spinach’s Chenopodiaceae family includes beets, chard and quinoa. Food: A Culinary History says it was among plants acclimatised in Persia that spread throughout the Arab empire. It entered Spain from the Arab world. It was especially popular for its “supposed dietary value” and featured widely in 12th to 13th-century cookbooks. In medieval Europe and England, it was the “Spanish vegetable”.
There'll be spinach (on Tuesday) at Sage Moruya (Outstanding Farmers’ Market in delicious. magazine’s 2014 awards). Tim Saffery and Tobie Patrick farm a range of produce on two “paddocks” (about 1.6ha) in Moruya, southern NSW. Tim says Sage has made the difference between full-time farming and “having to work outside”. And there’s “a really good community response”, the same people returning for their week’s supplies. Tim’s winter silverbeet is finished but he should have English spinach. He says “the bush rats are really attracted to the seeds and dig it up as soon as we plant it”. They sell $3 bags (about 250g) throughout winter.
Fraser Bayley and Kirsti Wilkinson (Old Mill Road BioFarm) grow spinach among mixed crops, changing seasonally. At this time of year they’re mostly harvesting greens, but it’s a juggling act. Summer is the NSW south coast’s peak selling period, Fraser says, with longer days and more people coming to market. So he concentrates on summer crops (tomatoes, capsicums, zucchini). They’re harvesting greens but need to keep space for summer plantings as soon as the ground warms up (3-4C is too cold to start). He should have English spinach (Summer Giant) on Tuesday, “as long as there’s no hail or damage from wallabies” before then. Also silverbeet, not the dark bubbly variety, but lighter Swiss chard. He buys Italian seeds from theitaliangardener.com.au.
In Queensland, Gary and Kim Samuelsen (Ghost Gully Produce) grow baby spinach among a range of hydroponic lettuces and herbs in the Lockyer Valley. They’re at Mulgowie today (don’t miss Mulgowie's annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic).
In WA, Howard and Bev Shapland grow hydroponic English spinach; “probably one of our best crops”, Bev says. The season lasts until Christmas, maybe new year. They have bunches, small cut leaves and a mix with rocket and small ruby chard (“for colour”), today at Albany, where Eve and Aard Brink have certified organic silverbeet.
And in SA there's lots of spinach and baby spinach at Victor Harbor and Willunga.
HOMEWORK: It’s “beautiful, mossy green”, “sludgy in texture”, “fresh, light taste”: Skye Gyngell's spinach soup. Wilt washed young leaves; sweat sliced shallots and garlic in butter, add drained spinach, chicken stock; puree; add creme fraiche, scatter grated nutmeg and grated lemon zest (A Year in My Kitchen).
Paul Evans, The Guardian's “country diarist”, “man of the dirt and the weeds”, has written Herbaceous (Little Toller Books), stories “built around 50 plants, grouped according to colours and seasons”, from Shropshire and the English Marches.
Not-for-profit Melbourne Farmers Markets (operator of Slow Food Melbourne, short-listed in delicious. magazine’s recent market awards) launches the new Carlton market today.
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