Baked Cream Spinach

February in Kansas doesn’t often inspire conversations about local food. Our sensory memory of last summer has long expired, and the craving of spring flavor is yet to awaken. Most familiar signs of life are weeks from emerging, and the yellowish-brown landscape reminds that we are at the farthest point in our local food orbit.

Is there a local food scene in the depth of winter?

A recent visit with Jill Elmers at Moon On The Meadow Farm got me excited about discussing this question.

Cold weather crops are slowly finding their way to dinner tables and restaurant menus, and it’s about time. Growing food in the winter is far from impossible and actually quite common. For those producers with experience and persistence, it’s simply using Mother Nature to your advantage.

Some would say managing winter elements might actually be less challenging than navigating the extremes of a Kansas summer, but perils still abound. As Jill points out, the lack of daylight, not the cold, is the major restriction when it comes to winter farming. And with cold-weather crops yielding less, the cost of labor to harvest the slim pickings can be a huge expense.

Things on the farm were busy nonetheless.

High tunnels were teaming with spinach, lettuce and greens while preparations for the upcoming season were in full force. It was obvious the ground is still motivated to produce, even though the signs are hidden.

Tasting Jill’s spinach reminds me why I’ve put it on my list of foods I only consume in-season. It’s hard to find full, crunchy, bunched spinach these days at the grocery store. Spinach has been minimized to the flat, bland, bagged version that is often the only choice to be found. Local spinach has a distinct sweetness and a nutty richness with a full body that is able to hold a heavy dressing or a light saute. Those familiar with these qualities rarely go back to the bags.

There is plenty of local food to be found in the winter. It may require a little extra searching to find it, but the flavor is worth the time. And remember, our local farmers appreciate when you demand their products from your grocer. How else will they know what to grow this year?

This baked spinach dish is similar to traditional “creamed spinach” often found at steakhouses but retains more texture and flavor from the leaves. Reducing the cream beforehand prevents boil-overs in the oven. A round ceramic pie pan is best, but a rectangular casserole does the job as well.

Baked Creamed Spinach

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

6 ounces curly spinach, stemmed (local if possible)

1 cup heavy cream

½ tsp sea salt

2 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded

Cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and destem spinach. Place on a clean towel and allow to dry a little (or spin in a salad spinner).

In a small sauce pan, reduce cream and salt to approximately two-thirds of the original volume on a low simmer. Be mindful of the cream boiling over. Watch closely and stir often. A couple drops of cold water can tame the boil if it gets out of hand.

Pile the spinach in a 10-inch pie pan or a 10-by-6-inch rectangular baking dish. Don’t worry how high the pile gets; the spinach will wilt down quickly.

Evenly drizzle the reduced cream over the spinach, then top with gruyere cheese.

Place in a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cream and spinach begin to brown. Leave it in a little longer if you want extra bubbling and caramelization. Serve immediately.

— Rick Martin is executive chef and owner of Limestone Pizza. He is a contract trainer for Lawrence Public Schools Food Service and the Kansas Department of Education Child Nutrition and Wellness, as well as a consulting chef for Just Food Douglas County. He has been preparing food for the Lawrence community for over 20 years.