In the Zeigler household of my childhood, Christmas dinner was not complete without this spinach dish. Rich with butter and cheese and held together by eggs and breadcrumbs, the recipe is made for holidays, and it converts easily from a casserole to a quiche filling to a bite-sized hot appetizer.
There was just one problem: Mom, not a fan of cooked greens, wouldn't eat it. My father and I loved it. At the slightest hint that Mom was considering a menu revamp that might eliminate "spinach," as we simply referred to it, my father and I would howl in protest. We usually won out.
So now, with a holiday table of my own to fill, I usually set one to which Popeye would be happy to be invited. But that means I need a lot of spinach come December - which is not a great month for spinach growth in my area.
So in June, I put up as much as I can from the row of it growing in my garden. This year's cool temperatures and damp days have made for some great conditions for all the greens in the garden, so I'm getting a regular supply from both there and my CSA.
After we've had our fill of spinach salads with bacon dressing, the extras get blanched and frozen for winter soufflés, omelets, pasta dishes - and that all-important December meal.
The process
For a ten-ounce bag of frozen spinach - the usual size of a box from the frozen foods section of the grocery store - start with between eleven and twelve ounces of fresh spinach, as some of the water will steam out of the leaves as they blanch.
Wash the leaves and trim off the stems as a large pot of water comes up to a boil - use one with a steamer insert if you have it. Prepare a bowl of ice water in your sink as well - you'll need it ready as soon as the greens come out of their steam bath.
Place the spinach in the steamer basket or a colander that will fit down in your pot, and plunge the insert into the boiling water. Pop the lid on and set your timer for two minutes. Spread out some clean, cotton kitchen towels on your counter while the spinach blanches.
At the end of two minutes, take the insert out of the boiling water, and dunk it into the ice water bath for a minute or two. This will stop the greens from overcooking and preserve their emerald green color in the freezer. When they're cool, press the excess water out of the greens, and turn them out on the towels to finish draining.
Pack them in into zipper bags and freeze - my favorite tool of the season is my handheld, battery-operated vacuum sealer from Reynolds and its corresponding freezer bags that are both reusable and can be easily resealed if you get in them to get just a handful of berries out for a smoothie at breakfast. (More on that later in the week - strawberry season is finally here!)
This method works for any cooking green - I regularly put up both piquant arugula and the blander Swiss chard, which often stands in when the spinach supply is exhausted. My holiday guests usually can't tell the difference.
Active time: 42 minutes, including the time it takes to boil water.
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