As the FDA continues its search for the source of what BBC News describes (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5367048.stm) as "the rogue spinach," which caused one E.coli-related death and 146 illnesses, the legal community has begun girding its loins for spinach-y class action. 

Prominent, of course, is the family of the woman who died; the case is being handled by Marler Clark, the Seattle law firm which makes rather a specialty of E.coli cases - more than a thousand since 1993.  (http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_258180823.html)  The firm's also handling the cases of a couple suing Dole (http://www.todaystmj4.com/_content/news/topstories/story_4383.asp), and a mother and young son going after Natural Selection Foods.  (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650191826,00.html)

But the suits aren't limited to personal injury, as Plantiff's Lawyer Blog (http://internetandclassactionlaw.blogspot.com/2006/09/class-action-lawsuit-filed-over-ecoli.html) observes: a restaurant in Illinois is also suing Natural Selection for the spinach it was obliged to throw out, alleging that the "“Defendant’s conduct was so outrageous as to constitute ill will, bad motive and reckless indifference to the interests of the purchases of spinach.”

I could make a Popeye joke here, but I'm not quite that desperate for humor.  I'll just observe that the words "reckless" and "purchases of spinach" probably have never been used together before outside of a cartoon format.  That and "rogue spinach" warmed my dark, incongruity-loving little heart today.  Just wanted to share.