This flavorful sauce is especially good with the new crop of tender spinach.

I was lucky to find some fresh spinach at the open-air market at Edisto last week.

Just picking up the dark, ‘Charleston’ green bag of crunchy leaves took me back many years to when we would serve what was our favorite brunch recipe in which spinach like this was the start of the table.

Taking it back to the house, placing it in a colander under cool running water and listening to it ‘squeak’ as I pressed the water from it made it seem as if I were in that Tradd Street kitchen again. We were listening to the transistor radio while I danced barefoot around the adults as they prepared this treat for all of us.

This is a simple recipe but it is delicious and can be used in a number of ways.

Creamy spinach

Serves 4

Rinse and blot with paper towels about 6 cups of fresh spinach.

Pour 6 cups of water into a pot large enough to hold the 6 cups of spinach.

Add 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/3 tsp salt and 1/3 tsp pepper.

Once water is rapidly boiling, add spinach and cook about 4 minutes until soft and reduced in size.

Drain and return spinach to pot.

Add 1/2 large block of full fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/3 tsp nutmeg, 1/3 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 stick salted butter.

Heat on low to melt cream cheese and butter while stirring to allow remaining water in spinach to combine with the cream and other ingredients.

Now, this is when it gets good,

Add 6 cooked and roughly chopped strips of the best bacon you can get your hands on. Mix all together, turn burner off, cover to keep warm.

Let me assure you, this is incredible!

My family would often have friends over for brunch on Sunday and this was almost always on the menu.

My favorite way to enjoy it is over toast points. The crunchy toast with the smooth sauce is irresistible. The sauce can be served in individual ramekins with a toasted round of white bread with cheese over it placed close to the oven broiler to assure the perfect melted topping.

Later years this sauce covered a chicken breast and rice – equally wonderful.

Spinach may seem an everyday item but it was all the rage in the Victorian period.

Many silver utensils were crafted to serve it or eat with. Please take a moment to look up one in particular known as a ‘Spinach Fork’. This distinct piece was crafted just to serve what many consider an everyday, ordinary garden green.

Please try this sauce. It is one thing from my childhood that is just as good today as it was 40 years ago. Look for fresh spinach and become inspired to make a lasting food memory of your own.