arugula, photo credit: gourmetsleuth.com
About Arugula
Arugula is an aromatic salad green. It is also known as
rocket, roquette, rugula and rucola, and is popular in Italian cuisine. How to grow, use,
and store.
Nutrition
Like most salad greens, Arugula is very low in calories and is high in vitamins A and C. A
1/2 cup serving is two calories.
History and Lore
In Roman times Arugula was grown for both it's leaves and the seed. The seed was used for
flavoring oils. On another interesting note, Rocket or Arugula seed has been used as
an ingredient in aphrodisiac concoctions dating back to the first century, AD. (Cambridge
World History of Food).
Part of a typical Roman meal was to offer a salad of greens, frequently Arugula ( spelled
Arugola), romaine, chicory, mallow and lavender and seasoned with a "cheese sauce for
lettuce"
Arugula Pesto
1 bunch arugula, stems removed (about 4 ounces)
2 3/4 teaspoons of coarse or Kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Fill a large bowl with ice and add water, set aside. Fill a medium sized saucepan with water and the 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and
bring it to a boil. Add the arugula and as soon as the water returns to a boil, remove the
arugula with a slotted spoon and place it immediately into the ice water to stop the
cooking process.
Transfer the arugula to several layers of paper toweling or clean kitchen towels and allow
to drain. Roll up the towels and squeeze as much moisture as possible from the arugula.
Place the arugula in a blender jar and add the
oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper and puree until the mixture looks like thick
pesto. There will be a small amount of oil on the surface. Use immediately or
transfer the mixture to a jar with a tight fitting lid if you are going to store it.
This will keep for at least 5 days, refrigerated. Before using, stir the
pesto to incorporate the oil accumulated at the top.
Serve the pesto over some freshly cooked pasta or boiled potatoes.
Nutrition
Arugula/1/2 cup raw |
Calories |
2.5 |
Total fat (g) |
0.066 |
Saturated fat
(g) |
-- |
Monounsaturated
fat (g) |
-- |
Polyunsaturated
fat (g) |
-- |
Dietary fiber
(g) |
-- |
Protein (g) |
0.258 |
Carbohydrate (g) |
0.365 |
Cholesterol (mg) |
0 |
Sodium (mg) |
2.700 |
| Vitamin C (mg) |
1.500 |
|
 |
Grow
Arugula At Home
Seed Sources
Arugula is one of those great, simple greens to grow at home. Sow the seeds in a
sunny location in succession plantings (approximately every 20 to 30 days) from early
spring to fall.
Arugula performs best in spring to early summer. After that time, plant it under the
shade of an "airy" tree (not dense shade), or under shade cloth. It is
not fussy at all, although too much drought and summer heat will cause the leaves to be
smaller and more "peppery".
This plant does go to "seed" fairly quickly. But use the flowers in your
salads and collect seeds for future plantings. And if you make your
"succession" plantings, then the new plants will be ready as the older plants
are going to seed.
Harvest
To harvest simply pick the young leaves and the plant will keep generating new ones for
months. Older leaves are a bit tougher and hotter.
The flowers are small, white with dark centers and can be
used in the salad for a light piquant flavor.
How to Store
Rinse the leaves in cool water and dry on paper toweling. Wrap leaves tightly in plastic
or a zip lock bag. Best if used within two days.
Substitutes
You can substitute water cress for a simliar peppery flavor. You can also use fresh
baby spinach (but the flavor will not be the same). Also dandelion greens have a tart
flavor but a bit more bitter.
Sources
for Seeds
Shepherd's
Seeds
Recipes
Arugula, Mushroom and Walnut Salad
-
Gourmetsleuth - Recipe for Arugula, Mushroom and Walnut Salad
Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad
- Gourmetsleuth - Recipe for Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad
Seared Rib Steak with Arugula
- Gourmetsleuth - Recipe for Seared Rib Steak with Arugula
Avocado Souffle‚ On A Rocket Salad
- GourmetSleuth - Recipe for Avocado Souffle‚ On A Rocket Salad,
includes, 9 egg yolks and 6 whole eggs, avocado oil, avocado, arugula
(rocket), sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Recipe is by chef
Craig Searle.
Arugula, Orange and Red Onion Salad
- features orange or grapefruit segments with sweet red onion, arugula
and olive oil.
More Recipes - that include Arugula from
our GourmetSleuth database
More Recipe Links
Goat Cheese and Arugula
over Penne
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