New Zealand Spinach Taketh Over
Get the Eugene O’Neill reference in the title? Kinda? Sorta? I know it’s not the best, but it’s all I could come up with. I love Eugene O’Neill. What’s my favorite play of his? Well of course The Iceman Cometh. In doing a post on spinach I didn’t know this was going to take a twist on a playwright born in 1888, but I just write what comes to my head.
What else comes to my head right now?
Kissing.
Licking.
That’s what my cat, FiFi Bofinkles, is trying to do to me right now. My fingers are being licked and then she comes close and rubs her head on my chin and says “kiss me lover”. We are in love.
Ok, now that she’s laying on my keyboard so I have to move her belly every time I want to press the letter “p” key, we can begin.
New Zealand Spinach!
Did you even know it existed? I sure didn’t.. but boy do I know what it is now. This spinach is a monster. I’m not talking little monster either. I’m talking big monster yelling “look at me, love at me, pick me, eat me because I’m going to keep growing”. Isn’t what what you want in a garden plant? Sure, but what happens when it comes as a surprise?
Last winter I received a package in the mail from my very sweet Australian Friend Autopsy Jude (actual name Wanda). Inside were various seed packets, many heirloom and varieties I never heard of. One of them was New Zealand Spinach.
When it came January we planted a few of our regular spinach seeds and then also a few of this New Zealand variety inside. When it was transplanted outside in April the other spinach plants thrived and became big while the New Zealand spinach looked deathly. They were about 1 inch high and we were throwing in the towel. We buried the plants disappointedly. June came, our usual spinach plants bolted due to the heat. Ok, that’s fine, we got our spinach harvest this summer and now it was over. Then late July hit and it became really hot. And we started to notice these 2 green plants start to push through the soil where the 2 New Zealand plants were but they had soil on top because we buried them when we thought they were goners. Were they weeds? Then the plants started to really push through. The weeds looked pretty so we kept them. Then August came and our 4×4 box was completely taken over by these 2 monster plants. They were not weeds. It was New Zealand Spinach. We didn’t know this at first because when a plant shows up 8 months after planting it’s seed it will blow your mind. I googled and then the “AHA, OMG” moment hit when I finally found the plant that looked just like it. It was it. Turns out New Zealand spinach loves heat. No, it lives for heat. Give it 100 degree days. So 8 months later after we planted the seeds we officially have the largest spinach plants we have ever grown surprisingly show up in a box where sugar snap peas are supposed to be growing. Oh New Zealand spinach, what a big surprise you were!
Things to know about New Zealand spinach:
Again, it loves heat. Don’t think you can grow spinach during the hottest summers? Get this variety! The pack reads “This variety takes the heat and keeps producing all summer; tasty.”
Often referred to as “Tetragon”.
It’s great for a ground cover plant. It will spread several feet! Also it can grow up to 2 feet high!
Harvest regularly. You will need to because it grows so much, but also it will promote new growth. You can cut it’s thick stalks almost down to the bottom of the ground. It will still keep growing….
Eat it as you would spinach or salad greens. Saute it. Steam it. Eat it raw. Put it in soups. Put it in pasta dishes. Go crazy.
Many people describe it as tasting “marine, seaside air”. I saw that in multiple places when searching online. I have no idea what that would even taste like. What does “seaside air” taste like? I don’t know. It tastes like greens to me, but without the bitter taste that sometimes happens afterwards with regular spinach.
Things I have planned for this plant:
Spinach chips
Pasta Dishes (so many)
A sweet. Spinach and sweets? Hey it can happen! I have some tricks up my cookie monster printed shirt..
I am now Spinach Monster Mom.
So let’s meet this summer’s winner of the “Surprise! I’m here” garden award.
July 6, took down the Sugar Snap peas, nothing was really seen at the base of the box except some weeds.
This is July 17. We were like “Oh, what are these cute little weeds that appeared?” Well let’s just plant the new Sugar Snap Peas around them…
July 28, oh these little plants sure are getting bigger.. wait, what are they?
Then it happened. August. We realized it was the New Zealand spinach. Oh my goodness,it’s taking over.
Each leave almost looks like a succulent. It looks thick and shiny. It’s hard to find a not perfect leaf.
They are some of the prettiest spinach leaves I’ve ever seen..
The stalks are big and strong. Each stalk has multiple leaves on it.
Here are 2 stalks. Again, aren’t they just gorgeous?
I found multiple sugar snap pea plants hiding inside the spinach plant, tying it’s tendril around the spinach. I think they are BFFs now.
So today I harvested some spinach, a giant basket full….
And this is the amount that is left. Does anyone need any spinach? Seriously.
What a great summer surprise! Thanks spinach!
Wow! I never knew New Zealand spinach existed. ALSO: your nails look pretty! Love the sparkles. 🙂
Thanks Madison! Target had some nail polishes on sale which I guess they thought weren’t stylish anymore.. but I didn’t agree! Score!
Thanks for telling us about this variety. It is on my list to purchase for next year! I wish we weren’t several states apart because I would bake you a pie or make you a casserole (totally a Midwest thing to do) for some of that gorgeous spinach.
YUM! I sure wish we lived closer… 🙂 Have fun with this Spinach, it grows great in the heat!
Wow – it really does have beautiful leaves. I’ve never had New Zealand spinach before. You sure have a green thumb!
Thanks Pam, it’s a beauty!
What a great story about the the spinach that took over!
And once you mentioned the link between Eugene O’Neill and your blog title, the connection was obvious … sorta.
Hahaha, thanks Beth.
Woa – I had no idea about this! wow – it grows quick! Spinach chips are an awesome idea! And nice nail polish 🙂
Thanks Shashi! It definitely grew quick, I had to pick even more yesterday.. it’s out of hand!
Last year I had this varieaty of spinach too but it didn’t do well at all! I can’t wait for all the next spinach recipes to come,….
Bummer to hear Sophie, did it grow in the hotter months? Spinach recipes coming very soon!
That IS very pretty spinach, I must say!! P.S. Love your nails!
Thanks Ashley! The nail polish was on sale at Target on their rack of “I guess this isn’t cool enough for Fall”. But I totally thought it was! 🙂
Awwww, how cute of Fifi Bofinkles! That’s a long name for a cat, but that sounds cute! I haven’t seen the NZ Spinach before, but that looks so interesting! Nice that it loves heat, especially that it grows massively big. Thanks for sharing the progress of these!
FiFi Bofinkles is a good girl, but she’s not really into spinach… which is odd because she eats everything else. 😉
New Zealand Spinach sounds amazingly wonderful!
It was a great surprise!
Wow, look at that, never knew about it. You changed your nail color, looks nice. As usual I am in love with your fresh produce..
I like that you notice my nails, hahaha. Thanks Ash! 🙂
I don’t think I have ever seen New Zealand spinach until today. It’s so beautifully green and lush! I can eat a bundle of this! I just love greens. 🙂 You really have a gifted green thumb Pamela! 🙂 I love your garden post.
Thanks Anne! If you were closer I would give you a few bundles! 😛
You certainly don’t have to have a green thumb to grow this stuff. It seriously grows like a weed. If you can’t grow this you can’t grow anything haha.
I always learn so much from you. I had no idea NZ Spinach was even a thing! It’s pretty, but in a don’t-mess-with-me-I-will-cut-you kind of way. I like that. Dying to see what you do with that enormous harvest!
Hahaha, I love your description. It should be on a seed packet!
I grew up in NZ and I ate spinach all the time but I was never aware there was a brand called NZ Spinach! I love the bounty of your harvest – it looks like you have a very green thumb. As it’s coming into summer I’ll look out for this brand xx
Let me know if you can find it, and how it goes for you! It grows amazingly well for our hot summers, it’ll definitely be our summer spinach staple now. 🙂
A great surprise indeed Pamela! This spinach just loved your garden. We used to live in Texas and I imagine that this variety would have done very very well down there. We had way too much heat for much of our vegetables! Thank you for sharing!
Monet, that would have been perfect! It really loves the heat. It’s funny/sad to look around at all the other vegetables and they’re like “mom, help, it’s too hot” while the spinach is like “this feels good” and is perfect green.
Mmmm yummy…I love spinach. Spinach anything… What a wonderful garden you have….I started wondering about weeds… Do you even get any? How awesome it would be to have a garden and not have to weed!!
I’m digging your nails.. 🙂
Have a lovely weekend.
Hey Pru, to be honest we don’t get many weeds in our boxes. In some of the containers because we put plastic on top to lock in the moisture, we get some weeds because it’s a tropical dream land for weeds to grow in. Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!
WOW how cool. I think it is crazy that things can pop out of the ground that much later. You plant tulips in October and don’t see then till spring! This is awesome though. Does it taste any different?
Personally I think it has a “darker” flavor, but not as bitter as regular spinach. It’s quite yummy, I’ve already used it in a few different recipes and I’ve really enjoyed it.
Fantastic post! I’m not familiar with this variety of spinach but definitely would like to give it a grow in our garden. Thanks for sharing this great information!!
Have fun Dan!
Heat-loving spinach?!?! AWESOME.
I know!
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OMG, that spinach is crazy! That must have been traumatic for it to be buried alive…I’m so glad it survived and didn’t hold it against you. Can’t wait for all these spinach recipes!!!
side note: i don’t like eating spinach because it leaves this weird film on my teeth (kind of like underripe bananas do). Do you know what I’m talking about? I’m wondering if maybe this different spinach variety solves that problem. If you think I’m a weirdo and don’t know what I’m talking about then i guess you won’t have an answer 🙁
I think it forgave me, at least it’s been treating me nicely by growing so big, so I think we’re back to being best friends now!
I’m not sure if this variety will solve that, but I do notice a slight less bitter taste than regular spinach, so maybe it would work for you? I really have no idea, but if you find out…..holla over!
Wow, you weren’t exaggerating. That spinach is huge! It looks like you need a whole farm just to grow one crop for yourself. What was your favorite way of preparing this spinach?
I know, it’s wild isn’t it? We cut a bunch off last week and this week it’s back to sticking out the box again! I’ve made brownies (https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/2013/08/20/chocolate-spinach-brownies-with-peanut-butter-frosting/), pestos and pasta dishes with this spinach and they all turned out wonderfully! I’m going to try a creamed spinach soon. 🙂
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