Spinach Salad

I LOVE fresh spinach. For years, I avoided it because of how difficult it is to clean and check for bugs. (Eating bugs is strictly forbidden in kosher law, so all greens have to be carefully inspected before eating.) But when my local Costco started carrying triple washed organic baby spinach, I decided to find out once and for all how spinach is checked. It turns out not to be all that difficult! Check the Star-K website for instructions, or talk to a rabbi yourself.  

One of the very nice things about fresh spinach is that you can prepare it a few hours before eating. The greens are tough and take quite a while to get soggy. So this is a great salad to take to work for lunch.

Fresh Spinach Salad

2 cups raw baby spinach, washed well, thoroughly dried, and checked for bugs

4 or so spears of hearts of palm, sliced

A handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

A cucumber or bell pepper, chopped 

Some toasted sunflower seeds, if you like

½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the vegetables in a nice large salad bowl. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Add the vinegar, oil, and seasonings. Toss and eat within a couple of hours.