Photo: Courtesy of We Are Not Martha

Usually I’m not a fan of pairing ingredients besides butter and olive oil with scallops. A fresh scallop is so simple, with a natural sweetness and richness, that it seems almost blasphemous to perfect it with odd seasonings or sauces. At restaurants, I assume that complicated preparations are a mask for scallops not fresh enough to stand alone.

However, We Are Not Martha’s scallops with apple cider glaze over spinach with apples is poised to become the dish that breaks me of this unwarranted scallop snobbishness. The sweetness of the scallops balanced by the tartness of the cider and the simpleness of the spinach and apple sauté add, not detract from the scallops themselves.

Mostly, there is no longer a reason for my scallops to remain unimaginative and plain.

Not to mention, bay scallop season is right around the corner! The Nantucket Bay Scallop is smaller and more tender than a sea scallop, and by many opinions, richer in flavor as well. So more than just championing simplicity, this dish can celebrate the best of the fall season, both from the land and sea. Dive in!