"spinach day" news and stories

Happy Spinach Day!

We're confident you Slashfoodies push yourselves to get your fill of greens each day -- but in honor of today's holiday, we hope you'll pay special attention to this "power-packed" veggie. It's been growing in Spain since the 8th century, and works as well served raw as slightly cooked, in a variety of recipes.

We suppose this green needs little introduction -- you're either a convert or not. Sure, spinach fresh from the can may be enough to make Popeye superhuman. But these spinach dishes promise to pique the appetites of even the spinach-weary:

• Spinach and Flank Steak Salad (pictured here)
• Black Bean Quesadillas with Spinach, Sweet Potato and Chicken
• Spinach and Parmesan Dip
• Spinach, Radish Slaw with Chiles and Pepitas
• Spinach and Pecan Phyllo Mini Tarts
  
• Spinach Salad with Bosc Pears, Cranberries, Red Onion and Toasted Hazelnuts
• Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip
• Spinach and Feta Phyllo Triangles
  
• Garlic Sauteed Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts

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I was one of those kids that actually loved spinach. Mom always served the canned stuff when I was a kid and I couldn't get enough of it. I never understood the cliche that kids hate to eat spinach. Is that really true? And while I'm asking questions, why do green veggies (spinach, green beans, etc) get cold really quickly?

Today is Spinach Day. About.com has a ton of great recipes, including Amaretto Spinach Salad, Beef and Spinach Deep Dish Pizza, Lemony Chicken Soup with Spinach, Creamed Spinach, and Spinach Pie.

Oh, and here's the history of Popeye.