Conscious Choice: Arugula Rules!

June 2000 | Cooking with the Seasons

Arugula Rules!

by Terra Brockman

If you put arugula in a salad, it will virtually toss itself. That’s the kind of energy released by this pungent Mediterranean leaf. And that’s why, in my personal pantheon of greens, arugula somersaults to the top. I have loved this powerful and charismatic green ever since I first tasted it in a little Italian grocery on Bleecker Street in New York. And I have proselytized for it ever since.

Arugula tends to dwindle in our hot midwestern summers, but it thrives in the cooler weather of spring and fall. So before we hit the heat, make sure some arugula hits your palate. Arugula’s complex flavors — spicy, oaky, earthy — explode in your mouth. That explosive quality may be the reason arugula is also known as salad rocket — via the French roquette, via the Italian ruchetta, a diminutive form of ruca, from Latin eruca, meaning "caterpillar," so called, I would guess, because of the plant’s somewhat hairy stems. The Latin eruca became arugula in the dialect of southern Italy. Because of the huge influx of immigrants from this region (including my maternal grandparents) some one hundred years ago, arugula also became the American name for this spicy green.

The borrowing from Italian dialect rather than from proper French riles some blue bloods, such as William Woys Weaver, author of the excellent book Heirloom Vegetable Gardening, who refuses to use the southern Italian dialect term because "it is like calling beans faggiul, or snails lumache, or conversely, about as elegant as calling dandelion by its American dialect name, Piss-a-Bed." Elegance, schmelegance! That which we call arugula by any other name would taste as good. Whatever the name, you’ll find it a tasty, healthy, addictive substance. It is a good source of chlorophyll and fiber and of vitamins C, A, and K. In addition, it has high levels of various mineral salts, which contribute to its lively flavor.

The ancient Romans and Egyptians considered arugula a potent aphrodisiac. It was consecrated to Priapus. Unmistakable by virtue of his exaggerated phallus, Priapus was one of Rome’s minor fertility gods and also the protector of gardens and domestic animals. He inspired many epigrammatic poems, which were essentially graffiti clothed in the refined forms of classical poetry — "a trip to Coney Island in a Rolls Royce," as one recent translator put it. Modern herbalists go light on the aphrodisiac qualities and generally recommend arugula as an aid to digestion. My theory is that it’s good for the mind. There’s something in it that shoots directly into your brain and enlivens it. Try my arugula pesto and I think you’ll agree.

Domestic arugula (Eruca sativa) often is thought of as a salad green, a perky relative of lettuce. It can certainly function as one — mixed with a soft, mild lettuce such as Boston leaf, or in a fancier salad of arugula, blood oranges, and avocado. But arugula is in fact a crucifer, a member of the huge Brassica family that includes mustard, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and many other health-enhancing vegetables. Lightly cooked, it makes an excellent side dish or addition to pasta or rice. Simply sauté in hot olive oil and garlic. This will soften the edge of a particularly spicy batch of arugula, such as the wild arugula (Eruca sylvatica). The wild thing is for true arugula fanatics. It has smaller, finely cut leaves on a willowy stem, small yellow flowers, and an even more pungent flavor than ordinary arugula.

In the kitchen, the first rule of arugula is to taste a little before you prepare it. It has many levels of intensity — from mild if it is greenhouse-grown or heavily irrigated, to extremely peppery if grown in a dry year. Adjust the amounts in the recipes below according to the strength of your particular batch and the strength of your palate.

Any meal featuring arugula will be enhanced by a hearty, earthy, pleasantly rough red wine. Try Rosso del Salento or Salice Salentino from Puglia.

Basic Arugula Pesto

My all-time favorite thing to do with arugula, something I do almost daily during arugula season, is make it into a pesto. This pesto is good on or with virtually anything — pasta, potatoes, and bread are naturals. Or you can use it as a dip for fresh vegetables, or instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich.

3 garlic cloves
1 hot Thai pepper (optional, but its bite goes well with arugula’s kick)
2 bunches (about 2 cups packed) arugula, washed and spun dry
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste

1. A true pesto is made with a mortar and pestle, but I generally use a food processor. Start by processing the garlic and hot pepper until very fine. Add the arugula, walnuts, and cheese. Continue processing while drizzling in the olive oil. Then add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

2. This makes a fairly thick pesto. If you want it thinner add more olive oil or lemon juice. If the pesto is to be used on pasta, add a few tablespoonfuls of the water the pasta was cooked in.

Wild Arugula Salad with Porcini Mushrooms and Parmesan

This classic Italian salad is extremely versatile — an accolade-inducing first course to a dinner party or a simple supper accompanied by a slice of crusty Italian bread. With a salad this simple and elegant, each ingredient must be of the finest quality. Get arugula picked less than twenty-four hours prior to serving, fresh Porcini mushrooms, and a fresh-cut chunk of parmigiano reggiano.

The reggiano is crucial. It is an ancient glory, crafted on the pasturelands along the Po River for two thousand years. The cows there eat a specific mix of grasses, clover, and alfalfa that sweeten their milk. It takes 500 liters of milk to make a single fifty-five-pound wheel of cheese, which must then be aged at least one year in the traditional way. Sure, it’s a little pricey, but also a great illustration of the old saying, "You get what you pay for." Don’t take my word for it. Go buy a chunk of reggiano and a chunk of run-of-the-mill parmesan. Let them come to room temperature, then do a taste test. Be sure to let the reggiano rest on your tongue a moment so you can feel its sandiness melt and the flavor come through. I think you’ll agree they are two different beasts. For a salad like this, only the reggiano will do.

2 bunches wild arugula (about 1/2 pound total)
1/2 pound porcini mushrooms, thinly sliced through stems
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6-ounce piece parmigiano reggiano, at room temperature

1. Wash, dry, and coarsely chop the arugula. Reserve the spicy yellow flowers for a garnish. Combine the chopped arugula and sliced mushrooms in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and salt. In a slow stream whisk in oil until emulsified. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat well.

3. Shave thin strips of cheese using one of those fancy cheese shavers or a vegetable peeler. Reserve your best strips for garnish and throw the rest into the salad and toss lightly. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

4. Arrange the salad on serving plates and top with reserved strips of parmesan and flowers. Serve at room temperature.

Walnut, Arugula, and Gorgonzola Crostini

This easy appetizer is an irresistible mix of tangy gorgonzola, chopped toasted walnuts, and peppery arugula.

3-4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
18 quarter-inch-thick diagonal baguette slices
6 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
3 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup finely chopped arugula
10-12 arugula leaves for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread butter over one side of each baguette slice. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet, butter side up. Bake baguette slices until golden, about twelve minutes. Cool.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Mix walnuts, gorgonzola, and arugula in medium bowl.

3. Spoon nut-and-cheese mixture evenly atop unbuttered side of baguette toasts, pressing to adhere. Season toasts with pepper.

4. Bake toasts just until cheese melts, about six minutes. Cool slightly. Arrange crostini on platter. Garnish platter with arugula leaves and serve.

Linguine with Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan

1 pound linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
2 bunches (about 1/2 pound) arugula, trimmed
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1. Cook linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, about thirty seconds. Remove from heat.

3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add one cup parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well.

4. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately, with extra parmesan on the side.

Terra Brockman is the director of The Land Connection Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving farmland and promoting small-scale, diversified, organic agriculture in Illinois. Visit www.thelandconnection.org or call 309-965-2407 to learn how to get involved.

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