Summer Spinach

I love spinach. Preferably baby spinach, as it is tender and more sweet (I think) than the older, wrinkly spinach leaves one finds near chard and collards in the market. It is also quite good for you, with ample amounts of fiber, iron, folic acid, vitamins K and C, carotenoids, flavonoids, and lutein. It is also quite versatile, as you can serve it raw, either whole (baby leaves) or julienned/chopped (larger leaves) in salads or pestos of all kind. You can also cook it, whether sauteed, steamed, fried (yes, I've had this at a restaurant named Baang in Cos Cob, CT. Amazing), or dehydrated.

So, luck be have that Martha Rose Shulman recently wrote about quick and light summer dishes using fresh greens readily available at grocery stores and greenmarkets. After spending the greater half of my weekend last weekend playing in Fairfield County, CT with my good friend Amanda, I was exhausted and in need of some food for the refrigerator for dinner Sunday night, and the coming week. Luckily, I have a bunch of fresh spinach from my absolutely favorite health food store, other than Whole Foods, in New York: Lifethyme.

My plan for dinner that night? A little breakfast. Gently saute the spinach with a bit of olive oil and set aside. Blend two eggs and pour into my omelette pan, add the spinach, a healthy grating of gruyere cheese, and a couple of finely chopped scallions, and give it a gentle stir before letting the omelette set. Serve with a piece of whole grain toast smeared with homemade muhammara, a roasted red pepper/walnut/pomegranate molasses dip, and I've got a very healthy, and tasty, balanced meal.

What are some of your favorite dishes to make with spinach?