Spinach ‘al Burro.’
Wash, blanch, and chop up fine two pounds of spinach. Put it into an earthen pot with fresh butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Add two or three tablespoonfuls of flour and half a pint of milk, mixing continually. Serve hot with croûtons (fried bread), as a garnish.
Spinach ‘alla Crema.’
Wash half a peck of spinach in several waters to get the grit out, and put it into a covered earthen pan on a brisk fire. Stir now and then to prevent its burning, and after fifteen minutes put in one tablespoonful of salt. Cook five minutes more, then drain, and when dry chop it up very fine. Mix one and a half tablespoonfuls of fresh butter, and one of flour, in an earthen pot, and when half-cooked add the spinach and a little salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, pour in half a cupful of good cream, and cook five minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Serve with croûtons (fried bread), or hard boiled eggs sliced.
Spinach Croquettes.
Take two pounds of boiled spinach, strain, and chop it up fine. Put it into an earthen pan with four ounces of butter, some sweet marjoram chopped up, allspice, sugar, and grated lemon peel. Mix well over the fire, then put in one tumbler of milk, and when it boils add two beaten-up eggs. When thick and cooled roll up into croquets, meanwhile make the following batter: two handfuls of flour, one tablespoonful of good olive oil, half a glass of white wine, and a little salt, well mixed together. Roll the croquets in this and fry. Serve hot.
Spinach ‘Ravioli alla Fiorentina.’
Clean and wash eight bunches of spinach, cook them in salted boiling water, and then put them into cold. Dry well, chop up very fine, put them into a sauce-pan and mix well with four ounces of butter, eight ounces of fresh curds (out of which all the water has been pressed), two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, and three yolks of eggs. When cold make small balls or rolls of the spinach, flour them well, and throw them into boiling water. As they rise to the surface take them out with a strainer, pour melted butter over them, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and serve at once.