Seed to Plate

Perpetual spinach is slightly coarser than regular spinach, but can be used in practically the same way. Just chop out any tough stems on bigger leaves.

Boiled

If you've rinsed your spinach under the tap you won't need any more water to cook it. Cram as much as you need into a pan, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on a medium heat for about 3 minutes. Stir halfway through so that the leaves all cook/steam evenly. Drain by tipping into a sieve and squeezing out any excess water with the back of a large spoon. Serve straightaway with a knob of butter and a little seasoning.

Penne with perpetual spinach

Cook the penne as normal. Just before it's ready to drain toss chopped spinach into the pan with the boiling water. After a minute drain in a colander and you should have perfectly cooked spinach coating your pasta. Stir in a knob of butter and serve with a grate of nutmeg and lots of freshly grated parmesan. It also tastes delicious with tomato sauce stirred through the cooked pasta.

Spinach with pine nuts and garlic

Boil the spinach leaves for a minute, then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry a few chopped cloves of garlic, until soft. Then add a handful of pine nuts, and maybe a few chopped anchovy fillets at this stage if you're a fan, or even a few raisins. Add the spinach and heat through. Season and serve.