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hank

By Hank

Cheshire, United Kingdom

I'm advised to eat more greens which I really don't like the taste of. But I've just found a recipe for sauteed spinach which contains 6 chopped cloves of garlic which I love.
Surely even I can grow spinach ?
Do I need any advice for this new project or shall I buy some seeds and get on with it ?




Answers

 

Not the right time to sow spinach, too early - its usually sown in late summer/autumn for winter cropping, or in spring, see here http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingspinachchardandbeet1.shtml
The other thing is, you need a surprising amount of leaves to make one small portion of cooked spinach - a large panful of leaves will wilt down to a small amount at the bottom, so a spinach crop needs a fair amount of space.

As for eating more 'greens', they mean leafy greens, and I don't like chard, spring greens or cabbage either, though I will eat the latter raw. But remember, brussels sprouts count as leafy greens, along with spinach, and spinach is cheap and readily available at the supermarket until you start growing your own.

Here's a quick recipe I do all the time, just for one - cut a few small tomatoes in half (about 8 if its cherry ones), peel and chop or crush one clove of garlic, gently soften the two in a little oil in a medium to large saucepan. You can chop a couple of mushrooms if you've got them as well, (doesn't matter if you haven't) and add those too. After about 5 minutes, rip up half a bag of spinach and throw in the pan, keep turning it over till its wilted, add some black pepper and double cream or philadelphia cheese, whatever you've got, mix in till its like a sort of sauce, then either mix with tagliatelle pasta or pile on top of a large jacket potato.If you're feeling indulgent, grate a bit of strong cheddar over the top for added flavour and protein. Takes about 10 minutes...

If you don't like tomatoes, you don't need to put them in, its just the iron in the spinach is better absorbed in the presence of Vitamin C, which tomatoes contain.

23 Feb, 2017

 

Thanks B, the recipe looks good - and easy. I bought a huge lump of Stilton yesterday so may use that instead of cheddar. And I'll double the garlic too, and I love toms and grow a lot every year.

23 Feb, 2017

 

You might like to know that spinach and meat are not a great combination - the iron in the meat competes with the different form of iron in the spinach,making it harder to absorb any of it. Just in case you're interested, lol! As for stilton, oh boy, do I miss it, I love it, but have become allergic to it unfortunately, so no blue cheese ever again for me, boohoo... Not sure I'd like it with that recipe I've given though - let me know what its like with stilton, I'm intrigued.

And by the way, check if the spinach you buy is ready washed... its a pain if its not, nowhere near as quick to prepare

23 Feb, 2017

 

I think I would rather have Rickets than eat Garlic.

23 Feb, 2017

 

Really Owdboggy? I love garlic, thought most people did, not too much of it, but a good flavoursome ingredient

23 Feb, 2017

 

I often eat a dish called aglio y olio ( garlic and oil ). Calls for 6 cloves of garlic for 1 dish. Fabulous.

23 Feb, 2017

 

Well Hank, your gut bacteria will be very, very happy, and it helps to keep the blood thinner too - but you must reek of garlic all the next day if you eat six cloves at once!

23 Feb, 2017

 

Like the President of Iceland and Pineapple, I would ban Garlic. Filthy disgusting stuff. And why does the awful breath reeking selfish oaf have to sit and breath on me?
By the way even the slightest hint of it in food gives me chronic indigestion.

23 Feb, 2017

 

Well, I'd like to ban tripe, okra, reeky camembert and hummus, but I don't suppose I'll get my way either;-))

23 Feb, 2017

 

Thank you for your recipe, Bb. I will do it that way next time I have spinach.

23 Feb, 2017

 

That's okay Feverfew but its not exactly a recipe, I was just experimenting with ways to eat more spinach - and this one was my favourite. I tried it with Marscapone, which is nice, but too expensive, and then I found I preferred it with just plain double cream anyway. I hope you like it... I'm not a lover of a pile of wilted spinach seeping green water as a plain veg on my plate with meat and potatoes...

23 Feb, 2017

 

Garlic is like a lot of foods, you either love it or hate it. I love it but my wife couldn't stand it - result - garlic on my birthday.

23 Feb, 2017

 

There are many veggie blenders where you can make a tasty drink out of the vegetables you don't like to eat or Ike to eat for that matter. Also there are many recipe books out there that show you how to make many concoctions with those machines. All fresh and no cooking involved. Garlic is very good for your health and as an added bonus it makes people keep their distance from you so there is less chance of being exposed to a contagion.

23 Feb, 2017

 

Nice idea in theory - sounds like a slightly veiled reference to the dreaded Nutribullet, Loosestrife, blasted thing, a terribly over priced gadget and what a waste of money. I didn't buy it, it was a present, and its cluttered up the work top ever since. Comes with a recipe book which seems largely to be aimed at those trying to lose weight rather than just be healthy. I've never got the right combination of stuff to make anything even vaguely palatable, and all the recipes require half fruit, and fruit's something I have to limit. Its also how I found out that kale, even liquefied, gives me absolutely terrible heartburn... My son bought it for me, and when I asked him recently what he used his for, he said for mixing up his 'power drinks', which seems to be some sort of powder you mix with milk. Sounds like a whisk would do that job to me, but then I've never been a gadget lover... I thought about putting it on Ebay, but then discovered there were lots on there already, ha ha, wonder why... I decided to keep it in case I get to the stage where I haven't enough teeth left to chew my food!

23 Feb, 2017

 

So I surmise you are to too keen on it, right?

24 Feb, 2017

 

If you got some seeds and grow your own spinach, you might discover how tasty spinach can be. It is a cool weather crop so plant early spring, and again in autumn. Swiss Chard can be a substitute.

Sauteed spinach and mushrooms in my scrambled eggs makes a tasty omelette. Melted cheese on top of course.

24 Feb, 2017

 

Well, Loosestrife, I dunno how you came to that conclusion, ha ha...!

24 Feb, 2017

How do I say thanks?

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