New Zealand Spinach grows like a weed in my garden.
At this time of year, New Zealand Spinach grows like a weed in my garden. New Zealand Spinach is a self-seeding annual which comes up like a perennial every year. The plant especially likes to colonize disturbed ground that is heavily manured. You can likely find it growing right now in your garden. If not, come up to the GO BOX Permaculture Project and dig up some plants for your garden. You’ll never lack for spring greens again!
Shaen and I go into the garden and snap off the tender upper growth of the plant leaving the bottom of the plant to continue growing. The stems can be round or square and are tender enough to eat. This plant can be eaten in any dish that uses spinach. New Zealand Spinach does have a mild astringent after-taste. I like it for breakfast with sea salt, garlic and butter. Shaen makes a wonderful homemade mayonnaise or a simple hollandaise sauce that takes this weed to another level.
New Zealand Spinach has a round or square stem that is tender enough to eat.
Shaen’s Simple Hollandaise Sauce
6 pastured eggs, yolks
1/4c organic lemons, freshly squeezed or 1/4c organic cider vinegar
1-2c organic butter, melted and warm
1/2tsp sea salt
1/2tsp organic black pepper, freshly ground (optional)
1/2tsp organic chili pepper, ground (optional)
1tsp organic garlic, minced (optional)
Put into a food processor: egg yolks, lemon juice or cider vinegar, sea salt, and optional spices. Mix very well. While the food processor is mixing, slowly add the warm melted butter to the mixture until smooth. Pour the hollandaise sauce into a sauce pan and very gently heat while stirring. Do not over heat the sauce or it will separate. The separated sauce is still good to eat but it is more lumpy like a “cheese sauce”.
Shaen’s Homemade Mayonnaise
4 pastured eggs, yolks
1-2T organic lemon, juice or 2T organic cider vinegar
1c organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2tsp sea salt
1/2tsp organic black pepper, freshly ground (optional)
1/2tsp organic chili pepper, ground (optional)
1tsp organic garlic, minced (optional)
Put into a food processor: egg yolks, lemon juice or cider vinegar, sea salt, and optional spices. Mix very well. While the food processor is mixing, very slowly add the olive oil. Keep on adding more olive oil until the mayonnaise is the thickness you desire. Mayonnaise sometimes doesn’t work out and separates but it’s still delicious on foods.
