Spinach

The large individual pies make a wonderful first course.

This refreshing Iranian salad has a pure and delicate flavor.

These little pies are a famous Lenten specialty; they are deliciously sharp and lemony. A good, commercial puff pastry will do very well for the dough. The pies are wonderful eaten hot and also good cold. You may use frozen leaf spinach instead of fresh spinach. Defrost it and squeeze out the liquid.

Use black-eyed peas or haricot beans for this dish. You can use frozen spinach (defrost it thoroughly). If using fresh, wash it well and remove the stems only if they are very thick.

This wonderful, creamy pie is somewhere between a savory flan and a spinach lasagne. The fillo turns into a soft, very thin pasta, so don’t expect it to be crisp and papery. It sounds complicated, but it is quite easy and really worth the labor. I am sure you will be delighted by the result. It can be made in advance and reheated. The pie is excellent when cut up into small pieces and served at a party. Use a package of fillo containing large-size sheets. (I used a 14-ounce package of sheets measuring 19 inches × 12 inches, minus 2 sheets.) The large sheets are usually sold frozen and you need to defrost them for 2 to 3 hours before using (see page 9 for information about fillo). The Turkish kasar, a sharp hard cheese, can be found in Turkish stores but mature Cheddar is equally good for the dish. From the supermarket, you can now buy packages of young spinach leaves, washed and ready to use, but you can also use not-so-young spinach and remove any thick stems, or use frozen leaf spinach.

Preserved lemons bring one of the defining flavors to Moroccan salads and are often used together with olives. Cook the spinach in two batches if your saucepan is not large enough for all the bulky spinach leaves. Keep back 4 or 5 whole olives as a garnish.

Serve as a spread on whole-grain crackers, crisp lavash, or wedges of pita bread. For more information on miso, a pungent soyfood, see page 21.

Here’s a nourishing dip for whole-grain crackers or pita bread.

The addition of feta cheese gives this frittata a rich, pungent flavor.

This is good with either of these greens, but try it in late summer or early fall when gardens are overflowing with Swiss chard.

Both spinach and eggplant are compatible with curry seasoning, so teaming the two vegetables makes this stew-like side dish twice as nice. This is delicious on its own or over couscous.

In this updated version of creamed spinach, you get the goodness of soy, but not the bother of cooking a flour-thickened sauce. It’s a feast for spinach fans!

I just love sweet potatoes spiced with curry—what a superb fusion of flavors! This and the following recipe will help prove my point.

This recipe gives potatoes a Greek-flavored spin. It’s delicious with Warm or Cold Tomato and White Bean Soup (page 15).

Spinach and mushrooms are nicely flavored with sharp cheddar in these delectable wraps.

I’ve tried this pizza with frozen and fresh spinach, and while the former isn’t bad, fresh spinach makes it a delicacy. Complete the meal with one of the smoothies on pages 245 to 246 and a bountiful tossed salad.

This is as luscious-tasting as it is nourishing.

Lentils and spinach both marry well with curry spices. Each complements the other’s flavor, too.