Cascadian Farm Organic Goodness

Whether you're so far removed that you're actually craving a winter vegetable again, or you're just looking to use them up to get out of the house, this frittata is the answer. There is nothing about it that screams "It's COLD outside," but rather, it tells of springtime with its baby spinach and spring onions and sings of summer soon to come.

Rather than milk or water, I chose ricotta for a mix-in to the eggs. I love its velvety texture and the richness it imparts. Better yet, make your own. If you aren't interested in the ricotta, you can substitute by adding an extra egg and then mixing in 2 tablespoons of half-and-half or milk.

Spinach and Potato Frittata

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup spring onions or ramps, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 ounces fresh organic spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil/butter

½ cup ricotta

7 large free range organic eggs

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Pepper to taste

¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped finely

Chop potatoes into ¼" chunks. Heat the 4 tablespoons of oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and sauté for 10 minutes. While potatoes are sautéing, beat together ricotta, eggs and kosher salt and pepper, if desired, in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Turn broiler on to high. Add in chopped spring onions and continue to sauté for another 10 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in minced garlic and baby spinach and continue to cook until spinach wilts. Pour egg and ricotta mixture over the potatoes and spinach. Cover and cook 8 minutes until eggs are nearly set. Remove lid and place under broiler, about 5 inches from the heat source, for 5 minutes or until top begins to brown evenly. Remove from broiler.

Immediately top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and chives. Slice into wedges and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

As we head (hopefully) into the spring thaw, have you sowed your spinach seeds yet? Spinach grows very quickly, and you can even sow seeds over snow cover as it thaws for early spring germination.

High in protein, calcium and iron, quinoa (say: keen-wa) is also gluten-free, making the seeds a fantastic choice for vegetarians and those with celiac disease or on a gluten-free diet, as well as everyone else. When cooked, it is fluffy like rice with a mild, nutty flavor and uncooked can also be ground into a flour for use in baked goods.

As winter meets spring, the warmth of the salad fights the still chilly breeze, and the freshness of the spinach foreshadows the bounty that will soon erupt from your garden. It's my favorite time of year, and can I feel myself get anxiously giddy at the thought of the breeze slowly shifting from cold and biting to warm and soothing. I'm ready to break out the lawn chairs and eat dinner on the grass…if only all this snow would melt.

This salad is the perfect accompaniment to an early spring gardening session, clearing out debris, moving leaves from atop the plants and mixing the winter's compost with the topsoil to get the earth ready for planting. Have you started thinking about your spring gardening plans yet?

Lemon Quinoa Salad with Feta and Wilted Spinach

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups fresh baby spinach

4 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cooked quinoa

¼ cup feta cheese

Juice and zest from one Meyer lemon

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the spinach and scallions. Cook over medium heat until spinach begins to wilt. Add garlic, toss and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the cooked quinoa and continue to sauté until quinoa is heated through. Squeeze lemon juice evenly over the salad, add zest and feta. Stir to combine and immediately remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 meal-sized servings or 4 sides.

Prevention Magazine has a list called "Packaged Foods We Love" and Cascadian Farm's Organic Spinach made the list!

They asked their experts to recommend their favorite packaged foods - the foods they grab off supermarket shelves when they don't have time to cook from scratch. They chose our organic frozen spinach because "The only ingredient here is certified organically grown spinach, unlike frozen veggies packed in high-sugar or high-sodium sauces or glazes." Check out it over at prevention.com.

So go grab a box of spinach and tell us what you think? Megan recently used it in a Pizza recipe and shared it with us on our Facebook Wall.

Thanks for the nod Prevention Mag. Our spinach loves you too!