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Celebrating Tender Spring Greens

by Jane Worthington-Roth

March has heralded the first day of spring, and scattered throughout the Berkshires we see the first ambitious crocus blossoms poking their sleepy heads out of the ground, often working through the last drifts of snow before they finally appear.

Our favorite grocery stores also offer some of the first signs that spring is really here. The floral departments have pots of tulips and fragrant hyacinths, while bright bouquets of daffodils beg to be brought home. The produce departments also undergo a transformation - Locavores delight as the first spring vegetables begin to appear. Spinach in the garden is a sure sign of spring – and a great source of Vitamin A, iron, calcium and protein as well!

It’s best to purchase organic spinach, whenever possible, as industrially grown spinach is often high in pesticides. Spring spinach is different from the hardier winter type as the leaves are smaller, tender and the flavor is very delicate. While winter spinach is delicious sautéed, the spring leaves tempt us into making salads. Here are two of my family’s favorite spinach salad recipes. The first one is a traditional spinach salad, tossed with a warm bacon dressing. The lighter version is accented with mandarin oranges.

SPINACH SALAD - TRADITIONAL

Ingredients

6 strips of bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
8 ounces tender spring spinach
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced into quarters
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
4 large white button (or baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
½ pound sea scallops (optional)*

Directions

  1. In a heavy skillet, cook the bacon pieces in the olive oil until done. Remove bacon pieces onto a paper towel and set aside. Remove the pan from the heat. To the warm drippings, stir in the red wine vinegar and whole grain mustard. Stir well to combine the dressing.

  2. Pour the dressing into a large bowl (preferably wooden) and swirl to coat the sides. Add the spinach and toss to lightly coat all the spinach with the dressing.

  3. Place the spinach onto individual plates and garnish with the egg, red onion and mushrooms. Top with chopped walnuts, if using.

*If you would like to make the traditional spinach salad into a more substantial meal, add sautéed scallops to the dish. After step 1, remove 1 tablespoon of the bacon/oil drippings into another skillet. Cook the sea scallops in the drippings for about 1 to 3 minutes until opaque throughout. Place scallops on top of the individual salads just before serving.

SPINACH SALAD - LIGHT

If you’re in the mood for a lighter salad – try this easy version that accents the tender spinach with some beautiful mandarin orange slices!

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs (delicate tasting herbs such as parsley, chervil or even dill fronds works best)
8 ounces tender spring spinach
1 small can mandarin orange segments, drained
Cooked quinoa and rotisserie chicken (optional)*

Directions

  1. Place all the dressing ingredients (olive oil through herbs) into a bottle and shake well to combine.

  2. In a bowl, gently toss the spinach with the dressing. Add the orange segments to the salad just before serving.

  • If you’d like to make a more substantial meal, add in 1 cup of cooked quinoa and 2 cups of shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken).

Keep an eye out for the first sign of spring vegetables throughout the BerkshireSyle area!

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