(Eruca Sativa)
The Basics:
Also known as “rocket,” arugula is a favorite salad herb that adds a sharp, peppery bite to mixed greens, sandwiches, and even pastas. Native to the Mediterranean, arugula grows in small bunches, similar to spinach. With long, green leaves and flat, cream-colored flowers that blossom in the summer, arugula is a beautiful plant, but it might not stick around in your garden for long—it’s too delicious!
Planting Instructions:
Arugula seeds can be sown closely together in a sunny area with moist soil. Once seedlings sprout, arugula plants can be thinned out to five inches apart. But don’t throw those weeded out seedlings away—add them to salads; their tender leaves are just as delicious as those of the full-grown plants. Additionally, because arugula is such a popular salad herb, plan on growing several sets of plants throughout the summer. You can let plants reseed on their own, or you can plant new seeds yourself after each major harvest. It generally takes arugula a little over a month to fully mature, so you can fit three or four harvests into a growing season that starts in early spring.
Fun Facts:
In ancient Greece, arugula was believed to be an aphrodisiac. Consider making a salad featuring arugula and fresh figs (another aphrodisiac!) this Valentine’s day.
Nutritional Properties:
Arugula is a wonderful source of Vitamins A and C. It is also a good source of folic acid, a nutrient that is especially important for pregnant women.
How to Use:
Arugula is clearly delicious in salads; try some fun combos like arugula, pear, and blue cheese with honey mustard vinaigrette; arugula, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and goat cheese with balsamic vinegar and thyme dressing; or arugula, avocado, and grapefruit segments with lemon-shallot vinaigrette. For something different, make an arugula pesto. Blend fresh arugula, garlic, and pinion nuts, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios with olive oil. Then, mix in Parmesan or pecorino cheese, and you have a delicious and easy pasta sauce that keeps in the fridge for a week or the freezer for six months.
