Arugula

Arugula Recipes

 

Availability: Occasional in spring, summer, and fall.  

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. It should last at least a week.

How to eat: Arugula is a spicy green in the mustard family that might be unfamiliar to you.  Arugula is great chopped up in a salad with lettuce and a simple dressing. It is also good very lightly steamed as a bed for fish or meat.

How to preserve: First best: Eat it up!  Arugula is pretty perishable, but a good preservation method is making arugula pesto and then freezing it.  This would be good on fish or pasta.

Arugula Pesto

This is great with pasta or spread on a sandwich to spice it up!

  • 2 cups arugula, washed and firmly packed
  • 1-2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 TBLS nuts of choice (pine nuts are traditional, but walnuts will work, too)
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor except the cheeese.  Pulse until combined.  If you want to freeze it, do so now (and add the cheese after thawing).  If you want to eat it fresh, add the parmesan and pulse to combine.  Yum!

Arugula Salad

2-3 cups Lettuce leaves, torn into pieces
½-1 cup Arugula leaves, chopped
¼ cup Scallions, chopped


Toss the vegetables together in a large bowl. Add some chopped carrots or snap peas if you wish. Dress with one of the following salad dressings. Serves 2-4.


Basic Salad Dressing (cold): 4 TBSP Olive oil, 1 TBSP vinegar (we like cider vinegar), ½ TSP prepared mustard. Mix ingredients together and pour over greens.
Bacon Mushroom Dressing (warm): Fry 2-3 slices of bacon. Remove from skillet. Saute ¾ cup sliced mushrooms in the bacon fat until soft, 8-10 minutes. Pour mushrooms and bacon fat over the greens hot. Top with the bacon, crumbled, and some grated Parmesan cheese.

Balsamic Cranberry Dressing

This super sweat seasonal dressing is perfect for peppery fall/winter greens like arugula!  Add more or less oil as desired based on texture as well as optional sweetener if desired as well.  But I have to say that ours was plenty sweet without it!

  • 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2-4 TBLS balsamic vinegar (to taste)
  • 1 TBLS minced onion
  • 1 TBLS honey or maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 - 1 cup olive oil
  • salt to taste

Add all ingredients to a food processor except oil.  Process until smooth.  Add oil in increments while processing until correct texture is achieved.  Adjust flavors.  Store in the fridge.

Roasted Leeks & Mushrooms over Arugula

You could put this over any tender green.  Spinach or baby kale would work well here, too.

  • 6 oz baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 med-lg leek, halved lengthwise & sliced
  • 2 med carrots, thinly sliced
  • 3-4 TBLS olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 bag arugula greens, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 425. Toss veggies other than arugula with oil, salt, and pepper on large baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 min, stirring once halfway through. Meanwhile mix following ingredients to make a dressing: Juice of 1 lemon ¼ cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Put arugula in large bowl and mix in hot roasted veggies and dressing. Serve immediately.