Spinach Trombone F1

Trombone F1 can be overlooked simply because it starts with the letter ‘T’, making it one of our hidden gems. This is a gorgeous smooth leafed succulent choice best sown in spring or autumn, or spring and autumn! Lovely picked young as a baby leaf, or a little larger as a ‘teen’ and if allowed to mature they retain that smooth texture but add strength to the flavour making them perfect for cooking – some ideas are suggested below – remember to pick plenty as spinach does a shrinking trick when you cook it!

SOW: March to May & September or October. Sow in situ or in pots, seeds 10-25mm deep, to transplant. The earliest & latest sowings may need protection

GROW: plants need to be about 15-30cm apart (it depends on how large you plan to grow them) & pick when the leaves reach the size you prefer: we normally start about 6 weeks from planting out. Pick the leaves carefully (stems & roots can be easily damaged) or simply pull up the whole plant & replace with a later transplant.

EAT& ENJOY: as soon as possible after harvesting! Use small leaves raw in salads or lightly cook or steam whole leaves slicing them after cooking. Freeze young leaves: wash then blanche for 1 minute, drain and plunge into cold water, drain and squeeze, chop if desired. Cook from frozen: 5 mins in a covered saucepan without adding any extra water, drain, season and serve.

• Traditionally spinach with eggs – think omelette, quiche, frittata
• What about a shake – swap out the kale and put in the spinach for a green smoothie
• Pop onto pizza – up your nutrients and eat pizza with less guilt, besides spinach and cheese are a brill combination
• Pesto ready – with a bit of olive oil, parsley, parmesan a touch of salt and a bit of garlic
• Fried spinach with sausage slices or go spicier with chorizo
• Enjoy in Dahl – onions, lentils and spices, brown rice and lots of spinach…yum, or make spinach pakoras
• Sautéed … mushrooms, garlic, butter and home-gown spinach