Title: Sweet Spinach Tart
Categories: Desserts, Medieval
Yield: 8 servings
Unbaked pie pastry shell;
-(8")
2 1/2 lb Fresh spinach
1/4 c White wine
1/2 c Rose water
1/3 c Sugar; or more
1/4 ts Cinnamon
1 pn Salt; generous
Sliced strawberries and
-confectioners' sugar for
-topping
Spinach "was held in special regard because it had reached the western
world much later than the other greenstuff of medieval cookery,"
comments C. Anne Wilson in Food and Drink in Britain. "It came from
Persia, through the Arabs, and was first recorded in the west by St.
Thomas Aquinas. It arrived too late to acquire any traditional
medicinal merits."
Here the Elizabethans treat spinach as a fruit, and with great
success. It is fascinating to note how serendipity thrives among
cooks who have no preconceived notions about the "proper" use of a
particular food.
Bake pie shell at 425 F for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F
and bake for an additional 35 minutes or until done. Let cool.
Wash and trim spinach. Put spinach directly into large enameled or
aluminum pot without draining. Add wine.
Cover and steam spinach over medium flame for 1-2 minutes or until
spinach is wilted.
Drain spinach and mince very fine.
In the same pot, combine rose water, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Bring
to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Add chopped spinach and stir to coat.
Simmer over very low flame, stirring occasionally, until all liquid
evaporates. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Fill pie shell with spinach mixture. Arrange sliced strawberries
decoratively on top.
Chill at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.
A Spinnage Tart--Take good store of Spinage, and boyl it in a Pipkin,
with White-Wine, till it be very soft as pap: then take it and strain
it well into a pewter dish, not leaving any part unstrained: then put
to it Rose-water, great store of Sugar and cinamon, and boyl it till
it be as thick as Marmalad. Then let it coole, and after fill your
Coffin and adorn it.... --Gervase Markham, The English Hous-wife
