I grew up thinking I didn’t like vegetables. I knew I hated spinach. Spinach came out of a can, was boiled, and plopped on a plate. So many nights I sat at the table after all had left trying to gag that stuff down. It wasn’t till I ventured out on my own, out on a date at a very nice restaurant, when the waiter asked if I wanted a spin-ah-ge salad.. That sounded interesting so I of course said yes! What came was fresh spinach salad, with a bit of olive oil, pine nuts, and some Mandarin orange bits. It was a life altering moment! I realized how great fresh spinach was! Since then we have been loving and enjoying Spinach salads weekly. The thought of the boiled spinach has still tainted my thoughts of “cooked” spinach. Well, 45 years later, I ventured into the “cooked” spinach realm! OK “cooked” is lightly blanched. I heated up some olive oil, added some fresh garlic. As soon as I could smell the garlic I added the fresh spinach and started lightly turning it till it was just starting to wilt down. All I can say is WOW! So fresh and so delicious.
Wish me luck as I try and add my most dreaded childhood memory next, BRUSSELS SPROUTS!