Spinacia oleracea.

A monument of North American market-garden heritage. The original Bloomsdale variety was introduced in 1826 by the Landreth seed company, near Philadelphia, on the farm of the same name — making it one of the oldest spinaches in continuous cultivation on the continent. The "Long Standing" selection is an improvement made in the early 20th century to slow bolting, that dreaded moment when the spinach, taken by surprise by long days and heat, starts to flower and turns bitter. The "Savoy" in its name evokes the crinkled texture of the leaves — thick, puckered, glossy dark green, holding a little more sauce and flavour.

A mild, sweet flavour, lightly mineral, with that small ferrous touch that made its reputation (and Popeye's, even if it's a bit more modest today than once thought). Excellent raw in salad when the leaves are young, sublime wilted in a pan with a little garlic and butter, slipped into a lasagna, a gratin or a quiche, or simply blanched and pressed to cradle a poached egg. A cool-season cultivar par excellence — to sow early in spring and again at the end of summer.

Grower's tip: Spinach does not forgive heat. Above 24 °C, combined with the long days of June, it bolts no matter the variety. To stretch the spring harvest, sow as soon as the soil can be worked (April in Québec, sometimes late March under a tunnel), in successive rows every two weeks. Resume sowings in late August for a particularly tender fall harvest — spinach loves the cold and even tolerates the first frosts.

• Open-pollinated. Dioecious (male and female plants are separate) and wind-pollinated: for rigorous seed saving, isolate from other spinach varieties.
• Height: 20-30 cm.
• Maturity: 45-50 days (young leaves can be picked from 30 days).
• Exposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade in summer.
• Rich, cool, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5). Thin to 10-15 cm.
• Direct-sow in successive rows from early April to late May, then late August to mid-September. Tolerates light frosts; can be overwintered under mulch for a very early harvest the following spring.