Spinach

Strawberry spinach salad
Asparagus stir fry
Garlic Soba Noodles
Quinoa-Spinach Bake
Spinach and feta pasta

Straw and Hay Fettuccine Tangle
with Spring Asparagus Puree
From: "Super Natural Cooking" by Heidi Swanson

1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
4 ounces dried spinach fettuccine, or 6 ounces fresh
4 ounces dried egg fettuccine, or 6 ounces fresh

Bring 2 pots of water to a rolling boil, one large and one medium. You'll use the large one to cook the pasta and the medium one to blanch the asparagus.

To make the asparagus puree, salt the asparagus water and drop the spears into the pot. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor (preferably) or a blender. Add the spinach, garlic, the 1 cup Parmesan, and 3/4 cup of the pine nuts. Puree and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil until a paste forms. It should be the loose consistency of a pesto; if too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add the lemon juice and salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

Salt the pasta water well and cook the pasta until just tender; you'll need less time for fresh pasta, more time for dried. Drain and toss immediately with 1 cup of the asparagus puree, stirring in more afterward depending on how heavily coated you like your pasta. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, a dusting of Parmesean, and a quick drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Penne Rosa
(this is my attempt to copy a recipe from Noodles & Co. - I think it's easier to eat more spinach when it's wilted, and we have LOTS of spinach to eat)

1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
Crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 cup heavy cream (or soy milk)
Spinach
Feta cheese
Penne pasta

Heat butter/oil in skillet over med heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes and cook 3-4 min. Add salt to taste. Transfer contents of skillet to food processor. Add cream to food processor and puree. Wilt spinach. Combine sauce, spinach and penne. Top with feta cheese

Swiss Chard and Feta Phyllo Pockets with Yogurt Dill Dip
From "The Farm to Table Cookbook" by Ivy Manning

For the phyllo pockets:
1/3 cup white rice
2/3 cup cold water, plus additional as needed
1 bunch fresh spinach (1 lb)
2 bunches Swish chard, washed and well dried (2 lbs)
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 leek cut lengthwise, white and light green parts sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon minced garlic
7 ounces feta cheese
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb phyllo dough, thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted, plus additional for brushing
For the yogurt dip:
2 cups plain full-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the rice and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Pour the rice into a large bowl and refrigerate until cool. Cut off the stems from the spinach and discard. Place the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and swirl; the grit will sink to the bottom. Scoop out the leaves, change the water, and repeat. Scoop the leaves into a salad spinner or colander and dry well. Separate the tough card stalks from the leaves, finely chop the stalks, and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium high heat. Add the chard stalks and leek; cook until the leek has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chard leaves, and toss with tongs to coat the leaves with oil. Cook for 3 minutes; add the spinach one handful at a time until all the leaves are added. Transfer the mixture to a fine mesh sieve or colander and press with a spatula to extract as much moisture as possible. Mix the greens with the rice and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Stir in the feta, dill, Parmesan, nutmeg, and eggs. Season with s&p. Preheat the oven to 350F. Stack 2 sheets of phyllo dough on a cutting board with the long side facing you. Cover the remaining dough with a clean dish towel to keep it from drying out. Combine the butter and remaining oil in a measuring cup. Pick up the right half of the top phyllo sheet as if turning the page of a book. Lightly brush the bottom sheet with the butter-oil mixture, lower the top sheet onto the buttered sheet, and press to seal the right side of the sheets together. Repeat with the left side. Cut the dough into four 3 1/2 inch wide vertical strips. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the bottom left corner off one strip. Fold the bottom eduge upward, lining it up with the edge on the right side to make a triangular pocket. Fold the pocket upward, then to the left and so on as if folding a flag. Repeat with the remaining strips. Place the pockets on a cookie sheet and brush lightly with butter. Repeat with the reamining dough and filling. (The pockets may be prepared ahead at this point and frozen on cookie sheets until solid. Transfer to a sealable plastic bag and use within 3 months. To bake, defrost the pockets at room temperature for 1 hour and bake as directed). Bake the pockets until they are golden brown, 40 minutes. To make the dip, whisk the yogurt, dill, garlic, and s&p to states. Serve alongside the hot phyllo pockets.