Maker Β· Vegetables
Broersen spinach: open field from Westfrisian clay
Spinach from Westfrisian clay, sometimes four weeks from seed to harvest. A sturdy leaf that keeps its bite and colour in the pan.
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. Jacob and Gerard Broersen have been supplying fresh-picked spinach for over twenty years, regionally to greengrocers and nationally through HelloFresh and others.
Why this spinach
The polder is surrounded by water, which gives a mild, stable microclimate. The humus-rich, calcareous clay holds moisture and feeds strong growth. From seed to harvested leaf sometimes takes four weeks. Spinach that grows on this quickly stays healthy and keeps a fresh, full structure.
That makes harvesting a matter of days. "Too small yesterday, just right today, too large tomorrow," as Gerard Broersen puts it. Broersen plants and harvests in short, successive rounds, so there's always leaf at the right point during the season.
In your kitchen
Open field spinach from clay keeps its structure, bite and colour in the pan. Serve it raw in a salad with a 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 stays firm.
The leaf follows the season. Ask about that week's harvest.
βToo small yesterday, just right today, too large tomorrow.β
Chefβs tip
Blanch briefly, then squeeze well for a filling or mash, so your sauce stays bound. 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
βOpen field spinach from Partnership Broersen, grown on Westfrisian clay at Lutjebroek.β
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, crisp stems; good for a high-heat stir-fry.
Prices and availability are in the portal. Become a customer or log in to order.
Taste it in your own kitchen
Book a no-obligation tasting with Niels and taste it for yourself.