Spinach Crepes

Hooray, the garlic is ready! We grow and store the garlic we grow-enough to ALMOST make it through the year. We have been buying it this past month and I am very excited about the fresh garlic -just look at those beauties!

The Montmorency cherries need to be picked -one of the chores on my list today. It is a tiny tree but there will probably be enough for a pie, or to dehydrate and use in making more granola -tough choice. I will be happy when it produces enough for all my cherry desires.

The beets are also ready to begin harvesting. We adore beets -pickled, roasted and honey-glazed and it is a real joy to be eating them now.

The spinach is bolting which signals the end of its season. This is when I pick it all and make creamed spinach and crepes. I will make it in the winter with the spinach I've frozen and it will be just as good then as it is now. The onion thinnings substitute nicely for the yellow onions in the following recipe. It has a very humble appearance but this really is delicious.

Spinach Crepes

Adapted from The New Laurel's Kitchen by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders and Brian Ruppenthal
Crepes

Blend in blender on low speed:

2 c. milk or soy milk

3/4 c. each whole wheat flour and all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 t. salt
Refrigerate 1 hour to over night. You can halve the recipe but leftover crepes will get slathered with jam or wrapped around whatever is in the fridge and tend to disappear around my house.

To cook crepes, heat a nonstick griddle to 325 degrees and spread 1/4 c. batter with the back of ladle in a spiral to make a thin round. Cook just till dries on first side and browns a bit on second. When all are cooked, make the creamed spinach.

Creamed Spinach
Heat in your largest skillet:
3 T. butter or oil
Cook till softened but not browned:
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped small (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped small or 3/4 c. onion thinnings or leeks, sliced 1/4 inch
Whisk in and bring to a boil:
1 c. milk or soy milk
Add:
3 quarts (a large colander full) washed and chopped spinach. It cooks down a lot, so add as much spinach as your pan will hold, cook a bit then add more as it cooks down, until it is all in.
1/4 - 1/2 t. salt
black or white pepper
2-4 T. shredded Parmesan cheese (optional, but highly recommended)
a bit more milk if necessary

Fill crepes with creamed spinach and serve topped with brown gravy -my family feels this part is important, no matter how highly processed it might be. Serve with roasted or honey-glazed beets in the summer, or butternut squash and rice pilaf in the winter.