Townsend's Creamed Spinach

By CheeseDiva

This old-school dish was a staple menu item at the long-closed Townsend's Restaurant in Union Square — a restaurant that The Chronicle's late Herb Caen once called "the Little Old Ladies' historic hangout."

Ingredients

• 10 ounces fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• Generous dash nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup light cream
• Hard-boiled eggs, quartered, to garnish (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Wash the spinach and, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook until tender. It’s not necessary to add water; enough clings to the leaves. Drain and chop.

In the same skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter and saute the onion until translucent. Add the spinach, nutmeg and salt. Cook, stirring, until spinach is dry. Stir the cornstarch into the cream. Add to the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils thoroughly.

Serve warm; if desired, garnish with quarters of hard-boiled egg.