Recipe: Wilted Spinach with Lemon and Pine Nuts

WILTED SPINACH WITH LEMON AND PINE NUTS
Source: Fields of Greens: New Vegetarian Recipes From The Celebrated Greens Restaurant by Anne Somerville

The beauty of this dish is its simplicity - we serve it throughout the year. Fruity hot olive oil coats the leaves, with a splash of lemon to brighten the flavors. For a special treat, use crinkly Bloomsdale spinach or combine with tender chard, young mustard, and beet greens. Just remember to wilt the spinach quickly, and don't overcook it.

1 large bunch of spinach, about 12 cups leaves
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive
1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted*

Sort through spinach, discarding stems and bruised or yellow leaves. Wash spinach in plenty of cold water; if sandy, wash the second time, then spin dry.

Heat oil in large saute pan over medium-heat. Add garlic and lemon juice. Saute for 1 minute.

Turn heat to high. Add spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few pinches of pepper. Wilt spinach, tossing with tongs to coat leaves with hot oil and garlic. Toss in the pine nuts and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

*TOASTING NUTS AND SEEDS IN A SMALL SKILLET:
The stove-top method allows you to keep an eye on quick-toasting pine nuts or sesame or caraway seeds, which can burn in the blink of an eye. Place the nuts or seeds in the dry skillet and toast them over very low heat, stirring or shaking the pan as needed, until they're golden and fragrant - about 5 minutes for pine nuts and just a minute or two for the seeds.

Tip: Spinach wilts quickly, so if you're using a combination of greens, add the spinach at the last minute, just before serving. Add a little water to the pan to braise the greens; when they're just tender, toss in the spinach.