Sharon Smyth's Spinach and Cheese Sauce

from the Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook

From the wonderfully interesting and varied Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook, I've enjoyed trying Sharon Smyth's recipes in particular.  It's very obvious that she loves to cook.  She's enthusiastic about her recipes and indeed they all seem to be crowd pleasers.  I was anxious to make her recipe for Spinach with Cheese Sauce and found it to be terrific in a number of ways.  First of all, it's very easy to prepare.  I decided to use fresh spinach rather than the frozen suggested in the recipe because it's readily available and wilts down quickly.  You can use frozen with no problem and get perfectly fine results.  A simple cheese sauce is prepared using three cheeses and spiked with dry mustard and worcestershire sauce.  Everything goes in the casserole dish and bakes, covered for about 40 minutes.  It arrives at the table hot, bubbly, and mouth-wateringly delicious.  I knew it would be good, but was pleasantly surprised by just how good it really was.  I served it with some whole wheat pasta, but it would make a great little vegetarian lunch or supper on it's own, or with a salad, some bread and a glass of wine.  It also would accompany a roast chicken, beef, or grilled steak and baked potatoes nicely, so it's versatile as well.  I'm betting that this dish was prepared for little Sarah Collins at Collinwood in 1795 and that she remembers it fondly.  Spinach was popular on American and European family tables in the 18th century and it was a vegetable that fared well in New England gardens then as now.  Cheese was also a staple food in Colonial days because it stored indefinitely. Putting two and two together, I think this tasty combination must have been a favorite dish of little Sarah's, but only Ms. Smyth could reveal the answer to that question.  It's also a great way to get kids to eat spinach.  Try it soon and you will be glad you did!