Spinach croquettes

A couple of weeks ago, we bought an enormous bag of spinach, freshly harvested from Wilson Farm in Lexington. What to do with so much spinach?

These spinach croquettes may not be the most photogenic side dish. However what they lack in the appearance department, they more than make up for in taste. Rich and savory. A perfect side note to a simple main course...say...a roast chicken. Or you could eat them as a vegetarian main dish with some baguette. The croquettes require some prep work. One must cut away the thick stems. However, the recipe makes enough that you could easily eat the croquettes as a side dish one evening. A day or two later, use the leftover croquettes with some sharp cheddar cheese as an amazing omelet filling. I love dishes that stretch over more than one meal.

Spinach croquettes
From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

(Quick and crunchy, these lightly thickened spinach patties are cooked in a pan until crisp on the outside, but still soft on the inside.)

Salt
2 pounds spinach, trimmed of thick stems and well washed
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (or use more oil) *we just used olive oil without butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the spinach and onion and cook for just about a minute until the spinach wilts. Drain thoroughly and cool a bit. Chop the spinach and put it and the onion in a bowl, along with the eggs, cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix well, then add salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is too loose to form into cakes, add some more bread crumbs; if it's too dry, add a little milk or another egg.

Put half the oil and butter into a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Form the spinach mixture into small cakes (this amount will make 8 to 12) and cook, without crowding--you will have to cook in batches--until nicely browned, adjusting the heat so the cakes brown evenly without burning, about 5 minutes. Turn once, then brown the other side, again about 5 minutes. (My note: Add oil and butter for the next batch.) Continue until all the spinach mixture is used up. Serve hot or at room temperature.