Golden Garlic Spinach with Currants and Pine Nuts

Spinach cooks down faster than almost any green you can buy. A pound of it looks like a mountain in the skillet, and within a few minutes it shrinks to a small, glossy pile. That collapse is the whole trick here. You are not trying to build a dish so much as let the leaves soften in their own water and the splash of lemon.

Spinach is one of those vegetables that people have been eating for a very long time, and it has a reputation for being rich in iron. The truth is more useful than the legend: the iron in plant foods is absorbed less readily than the kind in meat, and a bit of vitamin C helps it along. That is one reason the lemon juice in this recipe is more than decoration. It brightens the leaves and nudges the iron toward your body at the same time. Nothing dramatic, just good cooking doing a little extra work.

A tip from my own kitchen: wash the spinach even if the bag says it is prewashed. Grit hides in the folds, and it is unpleasant to find it between your teeth. Spin the leaves dry or shake them well, because excess water will steam them rather than let them wilt cleanly in the pan. Also keep an eye on the garlic. Once it turns lightly golden, lift it out right away. It keeps crisping on the plate, and it stays crunchy far longer than if it sits in the hot oil.

If you have leftovers, they are better than you might expect. Cool them quickly, keep them in a covered container in the fridge, and eat them within a day or two. Reheat gently in a dry pan with a spoonful of water, just until warm. Cold, they make a nice addition to a grain bowl, though the texture softens a little. I like them stirred into a bowl of white beans with a bit more lemon.

For a meal, this sits well beside something with a bit of chew and warmth. A pan of Golden Apricot Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts makes a sweet and savory pairing, since the pine nuts and dried fruit echo the currants here. For a heartier plate, try it alongside Grilled Basil Chicken and Veggie Skewers, where the herbs and char give the greens something to lean against. If you want a vegetarian main that holds its own, Golden Tofu and Chickpea Curry Bowl is a comforting companion, with the spices working nicely against the sharp lemon.

Keep the rest simple. Good bread, a little olive oil, and a glass of something cold are all this dish needs.