Turning over a new leaf as spinach hits the shops

The vegetable requires consistent and ideal growing conditions to achieve maximum taste; it is also difficult to grow organically, often suffering from mildew and prone to turn yellow.

Fresh spinach has a short shelf life so it must be eaten in a few days.

Spinach leaves not only have a distinct and rich flavour, they also have some great health benefits and are packed full of antioxidants and rich in lutein which is believed to protect the eyes from sun damage and age-related blindness. The leaves are also high in vitamins and minerals.

Spinach is in season at Riverford, based at Home Farm in Newby Wiske, and is available to veg box customers. North Yorkshire organic retailer Riverford was named Best Online Retailer in The Observer Ethical Awards 2010.

Simple oriental spinach

Serves 4

1 very large bunch fresh spinach, shredded

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

Soy sauce, to taste

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the shredded spinach and garlic and stir-fry until wilted. Serve sprinkled with soy sauce. Great with grilled fish.

Swiss chard and onion tart

By Jane Baxter

Consider the base as a canvas: you can add what you like (within reason). Try a few chopped anchovies or some mushrooms sauted with thyme. You could even crack a couple of eggs on before baking.

Serves 4

1 quantity shortcrust pastry (see below)

50g butter

3 small onions, finely sliced

leaves from 1 sprig of thyme

300g Swiss chard

10 olives, chopped

tbsp freshly-grated parmesan

3-4 tbsp crme frache

sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

For the shortcrust pastry:

175g plain flour

1 tsp caster sugar

a pinch of salt

125g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

about 3 tbsp cold water

Make the pastry: Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and process briefly to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a bowl and stir in enough water to make a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rough circle (or any shape – this tart is very rustic, so the less uniform, the better). Place on a baking sheet, prick with a fork in several places and chill for 15 minutes. Place in an oven preheated to 200C/Gas Mark 6 and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Heat the butter in a pan, add the onions and thyme and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Meanwhile, separate the chard stalks from the leaves and chop both leaves and stalks roughly, keeping them separate. Add the stalks to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Remove the stalks with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leaves to the boiling water and blanch briefly. Drain well, refresh under a cold tap and then squeeze to remove as much water as possible.

Add the chard stalks and leaves to the onions and reheat gently. Season to taste and mix well. Spread the mixture over the pastry base and sprinkle with the chopped olives, parmesan and a few blobs of crme frache. Bake in an oven preheated to 190C/Gas Mark 5 for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Spinach and crab frittata

By Jane Baxter

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

400g spinach

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

freshly-grated nutmeg

6 eggs

1 tbsp chopped herbs, such as coriander, parsley or chives

2 tbsp freshly-grated parmesan

200g fresh white crab meat

sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Remove and discard the stalks from the spinach. Blanch the leaves in a large pan of boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh in cold water. Squeeze out the excess water, chop the spinach roughly.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and cook over a moderate heat for 5-10 minutes, until soft. Stir in the spinach and season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then remove from the heat.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl. Mix in the spinach and onion, plus the herbs, parmesan, crab meat and some seasoning. Heat the remaining olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat for 2 minutes. Add the frittata mixture and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the frittata is set underneath and slightly runny on top, running a spatula around the sides to make sure it is not sticking.

Place the pan under a hot grill for 1 minute to cook the top. Slide the frittata out of the pan and leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve

The Riverford Travelling Field Kitchen, a restaurant in a giant yurt, is coming to Home Farm, Newby Wiske, Northallerton, from August 5-15. To book, call 01803 762062 or for information visit www.riverford.co.uk/ homefarm