Fresh Creamed Spinach

Dove season. Rémy came this time. I said he was old enough for dove hunting, and Danielle said, "He is SEVEN, Tommy," and I said, "I was eight when Joey took me, and seven is close enough," and we had the negotiation that I'd been anticipating for two years. Compromise: Rémy can come, but he doesn't carry a gun. He watches. He learns. He sits next to his papa in a field at dawn and learns that hunting is quiet, and patience, and respect for the thing you're taking.

He was perfect. He sat in the grass beside me without moving for forty-five minutes — the longest I've ever seen Rémy sit still for anything, including sleep. He whispered, "Papa, when will they come?" and I whispered, "When they're ready, cher." And they came. And I shot, and the bird fell, and Rémy watched, and his eyes were wide but not scared, and he said, "Was that fast for him?" and I said, "Oui. Very fast." And he nodded and was quiet, and I knew he was processing, and I let him process, because processing is what you do when you've just watched life end so that other life can continue, and seven is not too young to learn that the world runs on this exchange.

Made dove poppers again — Rémy's first dove that he was present for the catching of. He ate three. He said, "These are from the field, Papa." "Oui." "That's where they lived." "Oui." "And now they're food." "Oui." He thought about this. "That's how it works." "Oui, cher. That's how it works." Seven years old and already understanding the circle. Joey would have loved this. Joey would have taken Rémy at five.

Rémy ate three poppers and pushed his fork around his plate with the look of a boy who was still somewhere out in that field, still turning it over. I wanted the rest of the meal to match that moment — simple, honest, nothing pretending to be something it wasn’t. This creamed spinach is exactly that: real ingredients, nothing complicated, the kind of side dish that doesn’t upstage the story on the plate but makes the whole thing feel like a proper meal. He helped me stir. That felt right.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh baby spinach, washed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Wilt the spinach. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the spinach in two or three batches, turning with tongs as each batch wilts down, about 2–3 minutes total. Transfer wilted spinach to a colander. Once cool enough to handle, press out as much liquid as possible with the back of a spoon or a clean kitchen towel. Roughly chop and set aside.
Build the base. In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Make the sauce. Sprinkle flour over the onion and garlic mixture and stir to coat, cooking for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.
Add the cream cheese. Drop in the cream cheese pieces and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Combine. Add the chopped spinach to the sauce and stir well to coat every leaf. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes until everything is heated through and the spinach is evenly coated.
Finish and serve. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, taste and adjust seasoning as needed, and serve immediately alongside whatever came in from the field.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fresh Creamed Spinach — The Side That Rounded Out Rémy’s First Field-to-Table Meal