You might think the Greenmarket in late winter to be bereft of leafy greens, but in fact it’s a veritable salad bar. Of course, everything you’ll see now is greenhouse-grown or overwintered, meaning planted last fall and left to nestle in the ground through the worst of the weather. Some say that practice actually sweetens the flavor of spinach, which is further improved with eggs and harissa in this warm salad of sorts from food writer Heidi Swanson, San Francisco’s vegetarian blogger nonpareil.
Heidi Swanson’s Spinach Chop
1 lb. spinach
1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. harissa
4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1/2cup slivered almonds, toasted
Scant 1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
(1) Remove any tough spinach stems. Add ½-inch water to a pot and bring to a boil. (2) Add spinach and stir constantly until the spinach collapses entirely, about a minute. Drain spinach and run cold water over it until cool. Spin-dry very well in a salad spinner, or press-dry in a clean kitchen towel. (3) Finely chop the spinach. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute, without letting it brown. Remove pan from heat and stir in harissa and spinach. Add eggs, almonds, salt, and lemon zest and stir again gently to combine well. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4. Adapted from Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson (Ten Speed Press; $23).