Spinach is a great leaf vegetable, whether you eat it cooked or use baby spinach raw in salads. It's worth remembering, though, that baby spinach doesn't have the depth of flavour that older spinach has. It is best friends with garlic, marjoram, nutmeg and cream. Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants, and contains four times the beta-carotene of broccoli, so is very good for you! It also contains high levels of folic acid, and the nutrients within spinach can also help to lower blood cholesterol. One of the healthiest veggies around! It is one of the simplest vegetables in the world to cook as it literally takes a minute, but I'm still amazed that people will boil it for 5 minutes or more. This will leave the spinach grey, with all the green goodness left in the water. So make sure you don't do this - it's madness! Don't be fooled by spinach, though - by the time you've cooked it it will be a fraction of the size it started out as. So always use twice as much as you think you need. As a general guide I would suggest 150g/5½oz per person.

The simplest way to cook spinach is in a pan with a little olive oil, butter, a grating of nutmeg and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice with a lid on to let it steam. This will taste great, and it goes with just about anything - pasta, fish or meat. If there is any excess moisture when the spinach is cooked, just tilt the pan so it runs to the other side and pour it away. Let the spinach sit for a minute and then serve.