Spinach Toasts

Photo: RecipesHistoryOrg

This is an 18th century recipe from England and was adapted from the original at RecipesHistory.org. By looking at the ingredients you might wonder whether the recipe works. I say, “Give it a go!” The unexpected spinach and apple combination complement each other wonderfully. 

This takes a bit of work and patience but the results are worth it. Serve as an appetizer or a light lunch. 

Ingredients: 

2 small sponge cakes (cupcake size) 

1 cup cream or half & half 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

¼ teaspoon sugar 

16 ounces fresh spinach leaves 

1 medium Fuji apple 

1 tablespoon sugar 

4 eggs (hard boiled) 

2 ounces fresh currants 

3 tablespoons melted butter 

2 medium bread rolls (a little smaller than a fist) 

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

Juice of 1 medium orange 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

In a bowl, break up sponge cakes and cover them with cream (or half & half), salt, and ¼ teaspoon sugar. Mix well and set aside. 

Boil spinach 4 to 5 minutes. Strain and let cool, then chop into small pieces. Set aside. 

Peel, core, and chop the apple very small. In small pan, mix apple with 1 tablespoon sugar. Cook over medium heat to make a small amount of apple marmalade. Set aside. 

Separate the hard-boiled egg yolks from the whites (save whites for another use). Mince yolks. Set aside. 

When sponge cakes have become mushy, add currants, apple marmalade, chopped spinach, minced egg yolk, and melted butter. Mix very well. 

Slice bread rolls ¼ -inch thick and toast them under the broiler until just beginning to brown (they will brown quickly so watch them the entire time to make sure they don’t burn). Spread spinach mixture on top of each toast slice and place in an oven-safe dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. To serve, remove from oven, sprinkle with nutmeg and drizzle a little orange juice over each toast.