@LifeTimeCooking many years ago, before I understood seasonality, I was at the #PrestonMarkets in Melbourne looking for spinach at the height of summer. Of course there wasn’t any, but one small stall run by an old Greek lady had some similar-looking greens on a low, out-of-the-way shelf. I asked her what they were, and she said, “is Greek vegetable” in a way that meant “you don’t want that.” But I asked her what she called it (“vlita”) and how she cooked it (sautéed with garlic, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon) and figured it sounded like a workable substitute for spinach.

When I got home and managed to look up the Greek name, I learned it was #amaranth. Then I learned about #horta, the mixed greens that yiayias pick from here and there, and which is commonly used wherever we might use spinach. Anyway, long story short, try amaranth in #spanakopita sometime, mixed with any and every other green, including chard, rocket, lettuce, chicory, dandelion, purslane, kale, nettles, etc etc. Just blanch the whole lot in salted water then squeeze it out and chop it up. You can also freeze it at this stage (I use silicone muffin pans to make 1/2 cup “hockey pucks” then store long-term in a freezer bag.) Finely chopped horta also makes excellent green rice (spanakorizo). #food #EatYourGreens #foraging #gardeningAU