"spinach" news and stories

Summer's a great time to pull out the chips and dips when entertaining. Here are three easy ideas that wil work with either Greek-style yogurt or sour cream

Ready Pac Foods is recalling 702 cases of Baby Spinach with Use-by dates of July 4 and July 8 due to possible E. coli contamination. While no illnesses have been reported, the California company has issued this voluntary recall and is working closely with the FDA to protect public health.

The recall extends only to products with these Use-by Dates or Product Codes (11707B, IR127121, 12007B, IR130373) sold in the following states: California, Washington and Arizona.

Read the entire release from the FDA.

Lancaster foods has recalled fresh spinach in six states because some packages tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, Examiner.com reported.

The company is issuing the voluntary recall on spinach with "Best Enjoyed By" dates of June 19 through June 27, 2010, sold under the brand names Krisp-Pak, Lancaster Fresh, Giant, and America's Choice because they could be contaminated with the bacteria.

The bacteria was detected in a random sample test conducted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Food & Drug Protection Division (NCAGR) on Krisp-Pack brand spinach with the best enjoyed by dates of June 23, 2010, the company said in a statement.

The recall is for both retailers and consumers.

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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The blogger herself says it best: "I subscribe to a ton of food blogs, and generally get a handful of recipes delivered to my inbox each day. The gems get filed away under the bulging To Make list. Very rarely do I receive a recipe that sounds so good it produces a Run-Don't-Walk level of urgency. This salad is of the Run-Don't-Walk variety."

It's a satisfying main-course salad, especially with addition of black-eyed peas and black beans, but light enough for a warm summer day thanks to the bright, tangy dressing, sweetened with agave nectar (talk about a great secret weapon!).

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