Spinach with Sour Cream Dressing

January 3, 2012

I came across a recipe for beet greens with sour cream dressing on Food52 this morning and it was pretty much the only thing I could think about for the rest of the day. It looked so simple and delicious. I had to make it immediately.

I went grocery shopping this afternoon but decided against buying beet greens in deference to the two and a half pound bag of spinach we have in the fridge. I don’t know about you, but two and a half pounds doesn’t sound that big to me. Yeah, well, considering the average bag of spinach is a mere nine ounces, two and a half pounds is GIGANTIC. It’s basically a 12” x 20” bag stuffed to the gills with spinach. It takes up an entire shelf in the refrigerator. We’re talking massive.

Clearly the landlord hasn’t learned his lesson. First five pounds of asparagus, now a boatload of spinach. Guess who’s eating a shit ton of spinach this week.

All this rambling to say that clearly I was drawn to the dressing. Something creamy yet light, tangy but not mouth-puckering sour. I figured if it pairs well with beet greens, surely it pairs well with other greens.

And so. Mix 1/2 cup of sour cream (I did half sour cream and half Greek yogurt) with 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk to combine. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste (I’m not a fan of black pepper and omitted it). Dollop over sautéed greens and serve.

It was more vinegary than I’d anticipated and was reminiscent of how Pun used to make spinach for us: wilted and mixed with vinegar. We didn’t care for it much back then (young palates finding anything not sweet inferior and all) but I found myself liking it more and more with every bite. I can’t wait to make it again and to play with it a bit. I’m thinking lemon juice and crushed garlic. Put more acidity and flavor pop into the mix. I’m a sucker for light, creamy yet zesty dressings.