Maker · Vegetables
Broersen spinach: open field from Westfrisian clay
Spinach grown on clay and sometimes peaks in four weeks: sturdy leaf with bite and colour that holds where quick-grown greenhouse spinach wilts to nothing.
The story
Who's behind it
Partnership Broersen grows at De Gouw in Lutjebroek, in the heart of het Grootslag, West-Friesland's market gardening country. The family has farmed the Westfrisian clay here for generations. Spinach is their speciality, not a sideline. Jacob and Gerard Broersen have been supplying fresh-picked spinach for over twenty years, regionally to greengrocers and nationally through HelloFresh and others. These aren't broad-acreage farms that happen to grow spinach—these are growers who've staked everything on one leaf.
What truly sets them apart
The soil and water do the work. The polder sits surrounded by water, creating a gentle, stable microclimate. The humus-rich, calcareous clay holds moisture and fuels vigorous growth. Because of this, the pace is fast: seed to harvest in sometimes four weeks. That speed is exactly the point. Spinach that grows quickly has fewer pest problems and keeps a fresh, full structure.
But it also makes harvesting a matter of days. "Too small yesterday, just right today, too large tomorrow," as Gerard Broersen puts it. Too early and the leaf stays too fine; too late and it becomes coarse. Broersen plants and harvests in short, successive rounds, so there's always leaf at the right point during the season. Regularity instead of one big cut.
How to set yourself apart with this
For your kitchen, this means leaf that holds structure. Open field spinach from clay shrinks far less than quick-grown greenhouse spinach and keeps bite and colour in the pan. Serve it raw in a salad with sharp vinaigrette, quickly stir-fried with garlic and lemon, or as a green bed under fish. For a filling or mash: blanch briefly, squeeze well, then work it in so your sauce or dough doesn't thin.
The difference lies in timing, and you can build that into your menu. Ask about that week's harvest; at Broersen, the flavour comes from the field, not the storeroom. For those who want season on the plate, spinach from this clay can move with what's happening outside.
“Too small yesterday, just right today, too large tomorrow.”
Chef’s tip
Blanch briefly then squeeze well for a filling or mash—prevents the sauce from thinning. For salad or stir-fry it's the opposite: raw or just tossed through, so the leaf keeps its colour and bite.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Raw spinach salad with sharp vinaigrette
Quickly stir-fried spinach with garlic and lemon
Green bed under pan-fried fish
Spinach filling for pasta or savoury tart
For your menu
“Open field spinach from Partnership Broersen, grown on Westfrisian clay at Lutjebroek.”
Products from Broersen spinach
What we carry from this maker
Leaf spinach, open field (Netherlands)
Sturdy leaf with bite; brief cooking is enough.
New Zealand spinach
Thicker, heat-resistant leaf for summer; stays firm longer.
Water spinach (ong choi)
Hollow, crispy stems; ideal for high-heat stir-fry.
Prices and availability are in the portal. Not a customer yet? Become a customer or log in to order.
Taste it in your own kitchen
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