Spinach leaves can be used in salads and sandwiches. If you have extra they can also be added to soups and stews. They can also be boiled and served as a vegetable, but this loses some of their food value. They should be picked fresh and eaten within one half hour from being picked to retain full food value. Common spinach - Spinacia spinosa is a bushy plant made up of dark green ruffled and pointed leaves.
Spinach does best in spring and fall seasons and has a tendency to bolt in the hot summer months.
Spinach can usually be kept from bolting in the summer by keeping the media moist. Also common spinach can be replaced by New Zealand Spinach in the hotter seasons and climates. New Zealand Spinach - Tetragonia expansa creates stems of leaves that can reach two feet long. It does better in the hotter summer season than common spinach. New Zealand Spinach is not a true spinach, but is used in recipes in the same way.